Narela girl’s kin remember suspect: ‘He grew up with us’

The man was arrested on Sunday, seven days after the girl’s body was found in an abandoned sewage treatment plant at a park in Narela Industrial Area.

“We were family friends for 25 years. My grand daughter called him a mama (uncle). We never thought he would do this to a poor child,” said the grandmother of the 7-year-old girl in Narela who was found raped and murdered last week. The police arrested the child’s 28-year-old neighbour in connection with the case.  

The girl’s family members also said they remember how the alleged suspect taking to a life of crime. (HT Photo)

“I have seen him since the day he (suspect) was born. We lived as neighbours in north east Delhi. He often used to call me mummy. He grew up in front of us. We never knew he would do this to us. Police should have brought him to us first. We need to ask him why he did this to a girl who called him Mama,” the woman said.

The man was arrested on Sunday, seven days after the girl’s body was found in an abandoned sewage treatment plant at a park in Narela Industrial Area. Police said he has confessed to the crime. She said that the child’s mother, who is nine months pregnant with her sixth child, is in shock and had to be taken to a hospital late on the Monday evening.

The girl’s family members also said they remember how the alleged suspect taking to a life of crime.

The girl’s 25-year-old uncle (father’s brother), said, “I have known him since we were children. At the age of 11, he had started snatching money from strangers and passers-by holding them at knifepoint. He was arrested in 2011 for rape. But, we never knew he would harm our family in this way.”

He said that the man’s brother, who also tried to take the child to a secluded corner two months ago, is also known for his criminal involvement in their neighbourhood. A policeman, who is probing the case, confirmed that the accused man’s brother has at least four cases of theft and assault registered against him.

The child’s family said the 28-year-old suspect is a drug addict and drives a van for a living. “He had to sell his van because he was debt-ridden. He was addicted to heroin and started working at a pickle making factory. He indulges into various seasonal contract jobs,” they said.

They also said that the man’s father worked as a broker at Narela wholesale vegetable market while his mother was a housewife.

According to a Delhi Police data, 974 cases of rape were registered in Delhi till June 15 this year. Every year, there are at least 2000 rape cases reported across the city every year. Last year, there were 2135 rape cases.