Surat: In the backdrop of the rape and murder of a seven-year-old girl in Katargam, people on Thursday blocked the Singanpur circle here and demanded the death penalty for the accused. Half an hour after the protest, the police had to intervene to pacify the enraged locals. Sensing the gravitas of the situation, BJP MLA Vinu Moradia postponed his victory march scheduled for the day.
The accused identified as Mukesh alias Muko Chimanlal Panchal was nabbed by the Surat Crime Branch team within hours after the killing of the minor girl from the Pandol area. According to police, the accused, a resident of Ved road, used to live in the girl's neighbourhood. He lured the victim into his house at around 11:30 am by giving her money on Wednesday. Panchal killed her after committing the crime and hid her body under the bed. He had plans to dispose of the body, but decided against it as it was not possible during the daytime, said Crime Branch Police Inspector Kiran Modi. In a haste, he hid the body under the bed and ran away.
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Prior to this, the accused was apprehended 14 times by different police stations here in cases pertaining to vehicle theft. Panchal a habitual offender has locked the door and fled. On not taking any calls from the police, the suspicion grew stronger. The police team then broke open his door only to find the body of the minor wrapped in a bag under the bed.
The body was identified by the minor's family members. The girl's family, is originally from the Ganjam district of Odisha, but settled in Surat a long time ago. Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party candidate and minister Vinu Moradia, who won the Katargam seat in the assembly elections, postponed his victory rally because of the protests. The MLA posted on social media informing that the victory procession stands cancelled as a mark of respect for the death of the minor girl.
