Class 9 girl killed with sharp weapon after aarti at Mangaon temple in Kolhapur; suspect sought

A minor girl returning home after performing aarti at a temple during Navratri was killed in an attack with a sharp weapon at Mangaon village in Hatkanangle taluka of Kolhapur district. The girl was a Class 9 student. The incident is said to have taken place in the temple premises at around 10 pm on Saturday. A pall of gloom has settled over Mangaon, and people are both angry and grieved.

According to the information available, the girl went to the temple aarti every day during the Navratri festival. On Saturday too she had gone to the Vaishnavi Devi temple for aarti. As she was returning home after the aarti, she was attacked with a sharp weapon in the temple premises itself, according to preliminary information. She fell, badly wounded and covered in blood.

On learning of the incident, social workers informed the Hatkanangle police. Police Inspector Sachin Suryawanshi reached the spot with his team. The injured girl was rushed to IGM Hospital in Ichalkaranji, where doctors declared her dead after examining her.

The name of Arun Lagammavar, 37, a resident of Mangaon, has emerged as the suspect in the case. After the incident, the Hatkanangle police launched a drive to find him. There is no information yet of his arrest, and police are only searching for him. No clear information has emerged so far on why the girl was attacked. Police are investigating, and the motive and other details will become clear only through the probe.

Given the seriousness of the case, a forensic team was called to the spot. The team examined the site and began collecting the necessary evidence. Police are also looking into the circumstances of the incident. The killing of a minor girl in a temple premises has created fear in the area, and tracing the suspect and solving the case is now a major challenge for the police.

Mangaon is in mourning after the girl's death. A Mangaon bandh and a candle march have been called today to protest the incident and demand justice for the girl. Villagers are deeply shaken by the crime, and citizens are demanding strict action against the suspect. Police investigation continues, and the real reason for the killing is yet to be established.