The body of a 13-year-old schoolgirl, who had been missing since Thursday, was recovered from a pond at Sukhbana village under Sadar police station limits of Garhwa district on Saturday.
The deceased was identified as Khushboo Kumari, a native of Daleli village under Meral police station limits and a resident of Sukhbana village. She was a student of Shaligram Agrawal Middle School located in Garhwa town.
On Saturday morning, local residents spotted her body floating in the pond. A scarf was found tied around her neck, leading police to suspect that she was murdered before being dumped into the water.
Police are investigating her contacts and movements. A police officer stated, "The body was sent to Garhwa Sadar Hospital for post-mortem examination. The investigation is underway, and the exact cause of death will only be confirmed after receiving the post-mortem report."
Authorities are trying to determine who she was in contact with and where she had gone before her disappearance. Further updates are awaited as the probe continues.
