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Uttarakhand minor’s rape and murder accused nabbed from Gorakhpur in morning raid
Rajiv’s location could be traced to Sultanpur area of Gorakhpur district in Uttar Pradesh based on the interrogation of his younger brother Gaurav, who was held on Saturday.
On Sunday morning , Uttarakhand police finally succeeded in arresting the co-accused in the rape and murder of a 10-year-old minor Haridwar girl from Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur after a weeklong manhunt.
Rajiv Yadav, a property dealer and a resident of Rishikul colony from Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur, was arrested by the Uttarakhand police team, which is now bringing him to Haridwar.
Haridwar superintendent of police (SP) City, Kamlesh Upadhyay, said that forty police teams comprising cops, intelligence unit personnel, special task force (STF) and special operation group (SOG) had been formed to nab the co- accused.
“Yes, the police team has succeeded in nabbing the accused Rajiv from Uttar Pradesh. He is being brought to Haridwar and further details will be divulged as soon as the police team reaches here,” said the SP.
Rajiv’s location could be traced to Sultanpur area of Gorakhpur district in Uttar Pradesh based on the interrogation of his younger brother Gaurav, who was held on Saturday.
Gaurav alias Gambhir Yadav was arrested on Saturday evening, when he was trying to leave for Uttar Pradesh, purportedly to handover money to Rajiv.
Earlier, Rajiv’s nephew and the main accused, Ram Tirath, was arrested within hours of the alleged sexual assault and murder on December 20.
The shocking case came to light last Sunday, December 20, after the girl, who went missing around 3pm while playing outside her house, was found dead, with her body tied with ropes inside a neighbouring apartment occupied by the two accused.
During the post-mortem examination, she was found to have been raped and murdered, causing rage among the locals.
Police were under pressure to arrest Rajiv as family members, relatives, neighbours, social, political and religious organisations were carrying out protests and candle marches on a daily basis.
On December 24, Uttarakhand government formed a team under deputy inspector general (DIG), Garhwal range, Neeru Garg, to probe the heinous rape and murder case.
Uttarakhand director general of police (DGP) Ashok Kumar, had increased the Rs 20,000 bounty on Rajiv’s head to Rs 1 lakh two days ago and DIG Garhwal Range Neeru Garg had assured the aggrieved family that the co-accused will be arrested soon. Garg has been camping in Haridwar and coordinating the police team operations for the past few days.
State Cabinet minister Madan Kaushik and tourism minister Satpal Maharaj lauded the efforts to crack the case.
“Everyone is shocked by the heinous act. Such immoral acts are destroying the ethical culture of our country. We demand stringent capital punishment for the accused and pray that every child remains safe,” said DPS Ranipur school principal, Anupam Jagga.
