Schoolkids held for 4-yr-old death

Nashik police today arrested two 15-year-old students from the reputed Barnes School in Devlali on charges of murdering a four-year-old girl. The boys have been allegedly charged with murder and remanded to judicial custody till April 21.

Ibrahim Mulla and Abbas Firoz Kanchwala, students of Std IX, were arrested after the body of the girl, Umya Alias Salma Gulam Hussein Dholakwala, was found in the Parsi cemetery at Devlali, police said. According to sources, Ibrahim used to play pranks on Salma to scare her. When the girl complained about this to her mother, Ibrahim was reprimanded.

Police said, following the incident, an infuriated Ibrahim, along with classmate Abbas, spotted Salma playing outside her house and later took her to the Parsi cemetery where they strangled Salma and hid her body in the bushes. After preliminary inquiries, the police arrested Ibrahim and Abbas who on interrogation confessed to the crime.

Since the two students are juvenile offenders, they will be lodged at the remand home under magisterial custody till April 21. Their application for bail will be heard on April 10.