Patna: National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Monday took suo motu cognizance of the death of a minor girl, who succumbed to her injuries on Sunday after being brutally raped and assaulted in Muzaffarpur on May 26. The commission acted following reports that the child’s death may have been caused by alleged delays in receiving treatment at the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH).The NHRC issued notices to the chief secretary and the DGP, Bihar, calling for a detailed report on the matter within two weeks.“The commission took cognizance based on media reports, which said that on June 1, 2025, a minor girl, victim of rape and physical assault, died at the PMCH, amid allegations that she was left waiting in an ambulance for several hours before getting a bed to start her treatment. She was victimised in Muzaffarpur on May 26,” an official of the NHRC said on Monday.“The contents of the news report, if true, raise a serious issue of violation of human rights. Therefore, we have issued notices to the chief secretary and the DGP, Bihar, calling for a detailed report in the matter within two weeks,” the official said.“According to the media reports, carried on June 1, the same perpetrator had earlier committed the same offence with another 12-year-old-girl and had attempted to kill her,” the commission pointed out.The minor was raped on May 26 at her village in Muzaffarpur and brought to the PMCH on May 31 in a critical condition, an official said.Reacting to the incident, leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, in a post on X on Sunday, wrote, “The brutality against a minor dalit girl in Muzaffarpur and the subsequent negligence in her treatment is extremely shameful. If she had received timely treatment, her life could have been saved. But the double-engine govt was negligent not only in providing security but also in saving her life. We will not sit quietly until the victim’s family gets justice. Strict action should be taken against the culprits and negligent officers.”Meanwhile, the people of the victim’s village in Muzaffarpur on Monday set the accused’s house on fire. The accused belonged to the same village. Police said there is a tense atmosphere in the village, as people are divided in support of the deceased girl and the accused.The mother of the deceased has fallen ill after her daughter’s death and is in a terrible condition, crying continuously.“Hanging the accused won’t do anything. Just like my daughter was tortured and killed, he should be killed the same way. The accused should be handed over to us. We will make him suffer before he dies,” the deceased’s mother, who is a widow, told reporters.“First my husband, now my daughter passed away. How will I live on?” the deceased’s mother asked.