MANDI: A gruesome daylight murder of a 19-year-old college student in Sarkaghat subdivision of Mandi has shaken Himachal Pradesh, triggering outrage across the state and raising serious questions over women’s safety.
The incident occurred Monday morning around 9:15 am in the Gopalpur area when the girl was on her way to college. According to initial reports, unidentified assailants attacked her on the road and slit her throat before fleeing the spot, leaving the locality in shock.
Police have launched a manhunt and suspect the involvement of two youth who were reportedly on a motorcycle.
Multiple teams are scanning CCTV footage from nearby areas, and officials have assured that the accused will be apprehended soon.
The brutal nature of the killing in broad daylight has rattled public confidence, especially among families sending their daughters for education.
Locals poured out in anger, demanding immediate arrests and fast-track trial to ensure justice for the victim.
Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur termed the incident “deeply disturbing,” saying such barbarity is unimaginable in Dev Bhoomi.
“The mind is shaken thinking what happened to the daughter in Sarkaghat. This is not just a crime, it is a blot on the state,” he told media.
He further questioned the deteriorating law and order situation, alleging that instead of promptly arresting the accused, police were seen restricting locals and family members at the crime scene.
“How have criminals become so emboldened in a state once considered safe?” he asked.
The victim has been identified as Sia Guleria, a second-year student of a government college in Sarkaghat and incident has shaken Himachal to its core.
The young girl, one of three sisters, came from a struggling family—her father toiling as a truck driver in Baddi to keep the household afloat and educate his daughters.
Her dreams were cut short in a crime that has left entire state numb.
But in a rare moment of public outrage turning into action, villagers chased down the accused, Shishu, who had fled barely two kilometres from the spot.
He was caught, thrashed in fury, and handed over to the police—an eruption of raw anger against a crime that has pierced the conscience of the hills.
Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur, along with local MLA Dileep Thakur, visited the grieving family, standing shoulder to shoulder in their moment of unimaginable loss.
Calling the incident a blot on the state, they assured full support in securing justice and taking the case to its logical end.
But beyond assurances, a haunting question lingers—how many more daughters must pay the price before the system wakes up?
Anger is also brewing over what many described as the government’s “mute spectator” approach, with residents demanding accountability and visible action on the ground.
Civil society groups and local residents have called for exemplary punishment to the perpetrators, saying the case must serve as a deterrent against rising crimes targeting women.
Meanwhile, a pall of grief hangs over the victim’s family, with prayers pouring in across the state for the departed soul and strength for the bereaved family to endure the irreparable loss.Mandi Police Official Statement (Translated in English):
SP Mandi Vinod Kumar said FIR No. 55/26 dated 13.04.2026 under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita was registered at Police Station Sarkaghat.
He said early this morning, information was received that a young woman had been attacked with a darat (sharp-edged weapon) on the main road near Vahenji (Gopalpur).
Upon receiving the information, the Sub-Divisional Police Officer, Sarkaghat, along with the Station House Officer and police team, immediately rushed to the spot.
Based on the inspection of the scene and the condition of the body, the case was prima facie found to be one of murder, following which the FIR was registered on the basis of the complainant’s statement.
The police, along with the RFSL Mandi team, inspected the crime scene and collected evidence.
The postmortem of the deceased was conducted at Medical College Nerchowk, after which the body was handed over to the family for last rites. The main accused, Vikas Patial, a resident of Post Office Gopalpur, Tehsil Sarkaghat, District Mandi, has been arrested.
As part of further legal proceedings, the accused will be produced before the Hon’ble Court on 14.04.2026. A thorough investigation into all aspects of the case is underway.
