Kaithal (Haryana): A seven-year-old girl was raped and murdered by a 19-year-old youth who then poured petrol on the victim's body and dumped her half-burnt remains in the forest. The shocking incident took place in Kaithal area of Haryana on Sunday with the police arresting the accused who confessed to his crime a day later.
According to the victim's family, the girl went missing on Sunday noon after which they filed a complaint at the local police station. The police launched a search operation in the village and recovered the half-burnt body of the girl from the nearby forest. The body was identified by the victim's clothes.
Speaking to the media on Monday, Kaithal Superintendent of Police, Maqsood Ahmed said that a video related to the incident went viral on social media during this time in which the missing little girl was seen going somewhere with a 19-year-old boy.
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"When the youth was questioned, he confessed that he was the girl's neighbour and used to play with her earlier as well. He lured the girl and then raped her. When the girl raised an alarm, the boy smothered her to death for fear of being caught. After committing the murder, the accused brought petrol and tried to burn the girl's body. The body was partly burnt," the SP said.
He said that earlier a case was registered under section 365, but since the accused confessed that he murdered the minor girl after raping her and tried to burn the body to destroy the evidence, he has been booked and arrested under sections 376 (B), 376 (A) (B), 366A, 302, 201 and POCSO Act.
The accused was produced in court on Monday and sent to one-day police remand. The SP added that the accused has a history of drug addiction.
