Rape accused sent to judicial custody

Four days after his detention by the police, the 19-year-old accused who raped and then killed his 5-year-old cousin was produced before a Ghaziabad court on Thursday. Peeyush Khandelwal reports.

Four days after his detention by the police, the 19-year-old accused who raped and then killed his 5-year-old cousin was produced before a Ghaziabad court on Thursday.

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The court sent him to judicial custody on charges of rape and murder.

"There was some delay due to pending investigation as the minor's murder was discovered later. We have arrested and produced him at the court today," senior superintendent of police (SSP) Raghubir Lal told Hindustan Times.

Apart from rape, Om Pal Giri alias Tiger was also charged for the minor's murder a day after her mother found the accused raping her daughter. The child, who was sent to school by her parents the next day of the rape, had vomited at her school.

"She had a serious bout of vomiting at school and was sent back home. Her mother was called to clean the classroom. During this time the child was alone at home for around 45 minutes. She was probably killed during that period by the accused. Two neighbours had seen him near the victim's house," the SSP added.

The accused has a criminal background; he was charged for the murder of his relative who had befriended his sister in September 2010. The mother of the victim had found Tiger raping her daughter on Sunday at a vacant plot near their house. She had a scuffle with the accused but he managed to flee.

The families of both the accused and the victim later reached a compromise and didn't inform the police about the rape nor did they take the child to a hospital. The post-mortem examination of the victim revealed that she died of strangulation.

A case was then registered against the accused for rape and murder on Monday by the victim's father. The police then detained Tiger at Murad Nagar police station for four days.