- Incident has left the entire region shaken, Hundreds of villagers, public representatives attended the funeral
Punjab Newsline | Mandi/Shimla
The last rites of 19-year-old Sia Guleria, who was brutally murdered in Nain village of the Gopalpur area, were performed on Tuesday morning in her native village amid tearful scenes. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu assured that every effort would be made to ensure justice for the victim’s family, adding that there would be no lapses in the investigation. The accused has been arrested and strict punishment will be sought. He termed the incident highly condemnable in a peaceful state like Himachal Pradesh.
The shocking incident has left the entire region shaken. The atmosphere during the funeral was deeply emotional, with a large number of people gathering since morning to pay their last respects to Sia.
Hundreds of villagers, local residents, public representatives, and members of various organizations attended the funeral and prayed for the departed soul. There was visible anger among the people over the incident, even as grief dominated the gathering. Several dignitaries, including MLA Dilip Singh, SDM Rajendra Gautam, DSP Sanjeev Gautam, CPI(M) leader Bhupendra Singh, former district councilor Munish Sharma, Nagendra Guleria, Tehsildar Ramesh Bhardwaj, advocate Suresh Sharma, and Dinesh Kaku, were present.
According to eyewitnesses, the accused fled the scene wearing a hoodie after the crime. He attempted to conceal his identity, but his movements were captured on CCTV cameras installed at a nearby house.
Villagers now afraid to send their daughters alone to schools and colleges
Following the incident, fear has gripped the village. Residents said they are now afraid to send their children especially daughters alone to schools and colleges. Villagers have blamed the rising drug menace, particularly “chitta” and other substances, for increasing crime in the area and have demanded strict action from the authorities.