Nine-year-old resists molestation attempt, strangled

The incident took place in east Delhi’s Shakkarpur. The accused was arrested and the police await the autopsy to confirm if the girl was sexually assaulted.

A nine-year-old girl, who resisted to being molested by a 22-year-old, was strangled to death by the suspect in east Delhi’s Shakkarpur in front of her 11-month-old sister on Friday afternoon. The man was arrested and the police await the autopsy to confirm if the girl was sexually assaulted

A nine-year-old girl, who resisted to being molested by a 22-year-old, was strangled to death by the suspect in east Delhi’s Shakkarpur. (Representative image)

According to the police, the girl was killed on the ground floor of a building in which the suspect runs a paying guest accommodation. Her parents work for the suspect in the same building, as housekeeping staff. While her father takes care of the building’s maintenance, her mother cooks and cleans the building for the suspect.

Identified as Mohammad Wasim, from Hapur in Uttar Pradesh, the police said the suspect had leased a four-storey building, in which he rents out rooms.

A senior police officer, who did not wish to be named, said that around 12.30pm on Friday, the girl’s parents found her lying unconscious on the ground floor of the building. The younger daughter was also found beside the body. She had no injuries.

He said that, a preliminary probe — in which some occupants of the buildings and neighbours were questioned — revealed that the girl was last spotted with the caretaker of the building, who also runs a paying guest accommodation there. “He was detained for questioning. During interrogation, the man confessed to have tried to molest the girl. When the girl raised an alarm, he let her go, but fearing she would narrate the incident to her parents, he said he strangled her to death,” the officer said, requesting anonymity.

Joint commissioner of police (eastern range) Alok Kumar confirmed the incident and said the accused has been arrested for the murder. “We are awaiting the post-mortem reports to ascertain if the child was sexually assaulted. The charges required will be added against him as the probe suggests. Wasim’s previous criminal involvements are also being looked at,” Kumar said.

The girl’s family belongs to Delhi. She is survived by her parents, three brothers and a sister.