The Patna police on Saturday said that the 50-year-old man, who was arrested the previous day in connection with the rape and murder incident involving two minors as victims at Phulwari Sharif earlier his week, is a serial offender who had also raped and killed a 72-year-old woman in the same area.
.The man has been identified as Devanand Rai alias Bhoklu, a resident of Alampur locality
On January 9, body of an eight-year-old girl was found in a field at Hinduni village while her 12-year-old friend was found lying unconscious nearby and is currently undergoing treatment at AIIMS in Patna.
According to police, the autopsy report has confirmed that the eight-year-old girl was raped. The medical report of the injured girl is not clear, though assault has been established.
Police have also recovered blood-stained bricks from the spot used in the murder.
“We interacted with several minor girls and women of the village. On the basis of their statements, we zeroed in on Devanand Rai. During interrogation, he broke down and confessed to the crime,” Patna senior superintendent of police (SSP) and DIG Rajeev Mishra said, adding that police have also recovered clothes worn by the accused at the time of the incident and sent them to the forensic lab.
Mishra said that during interrogation, Rai said that on the pretext supplying cow dung, he called the two minor girls to an isolated place on the outskirts of the village. “After committing the rape, he attacked both of them to destroy evidence and fled the spot, leaving them for dead. He thought both were dead. During his interrogation, Rai also confessed to killing one 72-year-old Basu Devi by battering her head with bricks in Hinduni village on April 19, 2023,” the officer said.
{{/usCountry}}Mishra said that during interrogation, Rai said that on the pretext supplying cow dung, he called the two minor girls to an isolated place on the outskirts of the village. “After committing the rape, he attacked both of them to destroy evidence and fled the spot, leaving them for dead. He thought both were dead. During his interrogation, Rai also confessed to killing one 72-year-old Basu Devi by battering her head with bricks in Hinduni village on April 19, 2023,” the officer said.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier, police had detained Basu Devi’s husband Chotan Paswan (80) on the charges of killing his wife for infidelity, but he was later released in the absence of any corroborative evidence.