Three days after girl’s decomposed body found, 22-year-old arrested for rape and murder
The accused allegedly lured the victim with the offer of a corn on the cob while her mother was washing utensils, say police
3 min read
On Wednesday, a court in Anand district remanded the accused to four days in police custody for further investigation and reconstruction of the crime. (File)A 22-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the alleged rape and murder of a five-and-half year old girl whose decomposed body was found on a riverbank in Vadodara district, said the police on Wednesday. The police made the arrest three days after retrieving the body on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, a court in Anand district remanded the accused to four days in police custody for further investigation and reconstruction of the crime. According to the police, the crime took place on the evening of August 30, when the accused allegedly lured the victim with the offer of a corn on the cob while her mother was washing utensils.
Acccording to the police, the two-wheeler borne accused took the victim to a deserted spot in a village, where he allegedly gagged and raped her before strangulating her and throwing away the body into the river.
A statement from Anand district police on Wednesday said that while the accused initially pretended to be concerned and joined the villagers in searching for the victim, an examination of the CCTV footage of the village gave the accused away.
“Initally during questioning, he misled the police saying that he had taken the victim to the riverbank to watch the Ganesh immersions and she accidentally slipped and drowned in the river but he was scared and remained mum… Later, he claimed that he had sacrificed her for superstitious rituals at the insistence of a shaman but it turned out to be false…” an official said on the condition of anonymity.
The police had deployed drone cameras, dog squad as well as sought the assistance of the State Disaster Response Force to retrieve the victim’s body. The body was later sent to the hospital for a post-mortem examination, said the police. The accused has been booked under Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) sections for rape and murder in addition to kidnapping charges, which were invoked earlier. The accused has also been booked under the relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
On Wednesday, Anand district police said, “The CCTV footage of the village as well as nearby areas were examined and the victim was seen riding as a pillion with the accused”. “The accused was tracked down and on being questioned intensively, he confessed that he lured the victim, promising to give her corn on the cob but instead took her to a deserted location, gagged and raped her. Thereafter, fearing that she would testify against him, the accused strangulated her and threw her body into the river. Later, he returned to the village and joined the victim’s family and other villagers in searching for her…” the police said.
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