Ghaziabad man rapes, murders his daughter; frames neighbour
The man’s arrest came after the autopsy revealed that the girl died of strangulation and showed signs of sexual assault.
Two days after arresting a 43-year-old woman for allegedly poisoning and killing a seven-year-old neighbour, Ghaziabad police on Monday apprehended the girl’s 52-year-old father for raping and murdering the child.
The father’s arrest came after the autopsy revealed that the girl died of strangulation and showed signs of sexual assault, report that prompted police to re-examine the case.
Police said the man, who initially accused his neighbour of “poisoning” the girl, confessed to raping and strangling his daughter early on March 12. He then fabricated a story claiming the child fell ill after eating a bowl of “kadhi” the neighbour gave them.
On March 14, police arrested the woman based on the father’s March 12 first information report (FIR) under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita section 105 (for culpable homicide, not amounting to murder), which claimed his daughter and her siblings fell ill after eating the “kadhi”.
However, the investigation in the case took a dramatic turn after the autopsy.
“The autopsy indicated death by strangulation and signs of rape. The probable time of death was around 3-4 am on March 12. Investigations revealed the assault could not have been committed by an outsider,” said Ajay Kumar Singh, ACP of Ghaziabad’s Ankur Vihar.
According to police, the father admitted to waking up around 3am on March 12, taking the girl from her bed where she slept next to her mother, and raping her before strangling her.
“During interrogation, he told us that he woke up around 3am and picked up the girl sleeping next to her mother. He then took her to his room, raped her and then strangulated her. In the morning, he took her body to a hospital in Delhi where he told doctors that the girl was not responding after overnight diarrhoea and vomiting. The doctors declared her dead on arrival,” said an investigator involved in the investigation.
He also alleged that his other children had exhibited similar symptoms, though only one was hospitalised due to a pre-existing illness.
The father initially refused an autopsy and planned to cremate the body in Delhi but later took it home to Loni under pressure from his family.
Then to deflect any suspicion, he filed a complaint against the neighbour, leading to her arrest. Police said they found no evidence to support the poisoning allegations and will soon file a report in court seeking her release.
“The suspect’s concocted story was part of his plan to mislead investigators. However, the autopsy findings exposed his lies. The woman will be released as there is no evidence against her,” the ACP added.
The father, a real estate agent and court notary, has been booked under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections for murder and rape of a minor, along with provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Police seized his phone, which contained pornographic material.
The victim was one of five children from his second marriage. His first wife had left him years ago, and they have a 30-year-old daughter who is married.