Aligarh (UP): An eight-year-old girl who was found dead at her neighbour's house was raped before being strangled, the post-mortem report has revealed, police said on Thursday. Two men have been arrested in connection with the case, they added.
The minor's mutilated body stuffed in a gunny bag was recovered from the accused's house in the Kotwali police station area on Wednesday, officials had said. "A panel of three doctors who conducted the postmortem of the eight-year-old girl has confirmed that the victim was sexually assaulted and later strangulated to death," Senior Superintendent of Police Kalanidhi Naithani said on Thursday.
Two accused -- Suhaleyheen (20) and his brother Rizwan (18) -- were arrested on Wednesday and sent to jail on Thursday. Their third brother, who is a minor, was also held but let go after questioning, the police said. Suhaleyheen, the main accused, has confessed to the crime, they added.
He told the police that he had given Rs 20 to the girl to purchase 'paan masala' and a packet of chips, the police said. When the girl returned to his house with the items, Suhaleyheen allegedly lured her inside the house, raped her and strangled her. Later, with Rizwan's help, he placed the body inside a gunny bag, they added.
A murder case was lodged against the duo on Wednesday and based on the findings of the post-mortem report, they have now also been booked for rape along with relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the police said. The girl went missing from her house on Tuesday. The breakthrough came after police scanned CCTV footage, which showed her entering her neighbour's house, the SSP had said on Wednesday.
