4-year-old raped, strangled; body dumped in Shalimar Garden

Ghaziabad: The autopsy of the four-year-old girl whose body was found under a car in Shalimar Garden on Saturday night confirmed rape and death by strangulation, police officials said Monday

Ghaziabad: The autopsy of the four-year-old girl whose body was found under a car in Shalimar Garden on Saturday night confirmed rape and death by strangulation, police officials said Monday. They added that a hunt is on for the 25-year-old suspect, who is her maternal uncle.

Police said a hunt is on for the 25-year-old suspect, who is her maternal uncle. (Photo for representation)

“The autopsy confirmed rape and death by strangulation. The body was dumped 2km from the girl’s house. The suspect is currently absconding, and teams are trying to trace him,” Dhawal Jaiswal, DCP of the city-zone, told HT.

The incident came to light around 8pm on Saturday when some locals informed a police patrol vehicle in Shalimar Garden about the girl’s body under the car. The police team rushed the girl to a hospital, but she was declared dead on arrival.

Atul Kumar Singh, ACP of Shalimar Garden circle, told HT: “Information was flashed to different police stations. The family of the missing girl also reached the Sikandarpur police post. They later confirmed the body was the girl’s. The body was sent for autopsy, and an FIR was registered at Tila Morh police station.”

The FIR was registered under BNS sections 103(1) (murder), 238 (destroying evidence), 65(2) (rape), along with provisions of the Pocso Act. In the FIR, the girl’s father named her maternal uncle as the suspect, who took the girl to his rented house around 12 noon on Saturday.

Police officials privy to the case said a CCTV footage showed the suspect dumping the girl’s body before running away. “The suspect lives in a rented accommodation near the girl’s house. He took the girl to his room on Saturday afternoon, raped her, and then strangled her to avoid being caught. He then carried her body on his shoulder and dumped it in Shalimar Garden around 5.30pm on Saturday,” the ACP added.

Officials said that on Monday, a team also inspected the suspect’s house and found vital evidence.

“The undergarment of the girl, broken bangles, blood-stained clothes, and other vital evidence were recovered from the suspect’s room. These strongly indicate her presence in the room and also the assault and murder. The suspect is originally from Muzaffarnagar, and teams from several police stations are working round-the-clock for his arrest,” a senior officer privy to the investigation told HT on Monday.