BCA student’s murder: Cops say classmate confesses to crime; rape, Pocso charges invoked

During interrogation, the accused allegedly told police that he suspected the girl was talking to another youth, leading to repeated arguments between them

LUCKNOW A day after a 17-year-old BCA student was found murdered at her home in Lucknow’s Para area, police on Thursday said the arrested accused confessed that he killed the teenager after suspecting she had started talking to another boy. Following allegations made by the victim’s family, police also invoked rape and stringent provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act in the case.

Investigators said the two were in a relationship, but had stopped speaking to each other about a week before the incident. (Pic for representation)

The accused, Devansh Pathak, 22, and the victim had known each other for nearly two years. They studied together in intermediate and later enrolled in a BCA programme at a college in Lucknow. Investigators said the two were in a relationship, but had stopped speaking to each other about a week before the incident.

“During interrogation, the accused allegedly told police that he suspected the girl was talking to another youth, leading to repeated arguments between them. On Wednesday afternoon, he went to her house to confront her. An argument allegedly escalated, following which he slit her throat with a knife,” said Kamlesh DIxit, DCP (west).

At the time of the incident, the victim’s parents had gone to Amethi, while her elder sister was at college, leaving the teenager alone at home, according to investigators.

The case took a fresh turn after the girl’s family alleged that she had been sexually assaulted before being killed. Acting on the complaint, medical findings, forensic evidence and documentary proof establishing that the victim was a minor, police added charges of rape under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita along with Sections 5 and 6 of the Pocso Act.

Investigators said they recovered the murder weapon, bloodstained clothes and other crucial evidence at the accused’s instance. Police said the investigation was underway while they await the forensic science laboratory report.