Noida: Sexually harassed by her uncle, 16-year-old girl dies by suicide; suspect held

The deceased girl, a student of class 7, resided with her parents at a rented accommodation in a locality in Noida 63

Noida police arrested a 35-year-old man on Thursday night following a brief gunfight for allegedly sexually harassing a 16-year-old niece who later died by suicide at her home in Sector 63 on Wednesday, senior police officers said on Friday.

(Representational image)

Police said the deceased girl, a student of class 7, resided with her parents at a rented accommodation in a locality in Noida 63. The suspect’s name is withheld to protect the identity of survivor.

“On Wednesday around 4.30pm, the suspect, 38, who resides with his family at the same building as the minor, asked his 10-year-old daughter to call his niece as he wanted to deliver her a landlord’s message,” said Avdhesh Pratap Singh, station house officer, Sector 63 police station.

The SHO said, “When the niece reached her uncle’s room, her cousin was busy washing utensils, and the suspect sexually harassed her. She somehow managed to escape from there and returned to her home.”

Later, around 6.30pm, when her parents returned home from work, she was found hanging from an iron window grill, said police.

“After we received information, a team of Sector 63 police station rushed to the spot and sent her body for a post-mortem examination. During the investigation, we were informed by next-door neighbours that the girl was crying when she ran away from the suspect’s room. She also revealed the sexual harassment to a minor girl,” said SHO Singh.

The investigation revealed that the suspect had sexually harassed the minor in the past as well, but she kept quiet. On Wednesday, when he repeated the harassment again, she ended her life, said police.

On the complaint by the minor’s parents, a case under sections 75 (sexual harassment) and 108 (abetment to suicide) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita was registered at Sector 63 police station, and the suspect was arrested following a brief gunfight on Faridabad-Noida-Ghaziabad Road on Thursday night, said SHO Singh, adding that further investigation is underway.