Body of missing 16-year-old girl found in Sonepat pond

According to police, the family, originally from Uttar Pradesh’s Sitapur district, had moved to the area around four years ago in search of work

The body of a 16-year-old girl, missing since October 28, was recovered from a pond in a village under the Bahalgarh police station limits in Sonepat district on Tuesday evening, police said.

Police said that relatives of the victim identified the body from the clothes and scarf. (HT Photo for representation)

According to police, the victim’s family has alleged foul play, suspecting the involvement of people with whom they had an earlier dispute. Police said that the victim’s body has been sent to the civil hospital for a post-mortem examination to ascertain the cause of death.

The victim’s mother alleged in her complaint that her daughter went missing on October 28 after a relative entered their rented house while she was away at work. The relative reportedly sent the girl’s two younger brothers out on the pretext of buying snacks and attempted to sexually assault her. However, neighbours intervened, caught the suspect, and handed him over to the police.

According to police, the family, originally from Uttar Pradesh’s Sitapur district, had moved to the area around four years ago in search of work. The girl’s father died of illness about three months ago. Her mother works in a factory and lives with her three children, including the deceased.

The victim’s mother also alleged that around one-and-a-half years ago, she had caught the relative attempting to molest her daughter, leading to a physical altercation and subsequent threats to the family. She suspects the involvement of the relative and his brother in her daughter’s death.

Police said that relatives of the victim identified the body from the clothes and scarf. They claimed that the girl’s face appeared to have been burnt with an inflammable substance, making identification difficult.

Investigating officer Jasmer Singh of Bahalgarh police station said preliminary observations did not indicate sexual assault. “The youth detained in connection with the October 28 incident has been questioned and subsequently released,” he said, adding that the police are investigating the case from the angle of murder, and the actual cause of death will be ascertained only after the autopsy report.