Gurugram minor rape-murder case: Accused held from Jhansi

The three-year-old girl’s body was found in an abandoned room of Sector 66 of Gurugram on November 12. She was allegedly raped and tortured to death after she was abducted from outside her house.

Updated on: Nov 20, 2018, 12:58:00 IST

Hindustan Times, Gurugram | By Leena Dhankhar, Gurugram

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Gurugram Police on Monday arrested a 20-year-old man, who allegedly raped and murdered a three-year-old girl in Sector 66 on November 11, fromUttar Pradesh’s Jhansi.

The 20-year-old accused was arrested from Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh and has confessed to the rape and murder of a three-year-old in Gurugram on November 11. (HT Photo)

Police said the accused Sunil Kumar was expected to be brought to the city late Monday night. Police said Kumar has confessed to the crime. He said he murdered the girl as she could have identified him, police said.

A team of 15 police personnel led by assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Raj Kumar had gone to Gwalior on Friday after a tip-off that accused might visit his relative’s house. He had earlier contacted several of his relatives but no one welcomed him nor anyone informed the police regarding the same, said police.

On Sunday, police got CCTV footage from Gwalior where the accused was seen eating dinner at a religious community kitchen near a temple on Friday. On Monday, they received a tip-off from a person who claimed to have spotted Kumar having lunch at a religious community kitchen around 2 pm in Jhansi.

Soon, ASI Kumar’s team left for Jhansi and arrested the accused close to “Bhairon Baba” temple.

“He told us that he was an alcoholic and often visited the temple where people distribute liquor to fulfill their wishes. He did not spend money on food and drinks and was only fond of buying clothes,’ said ASI Kumar, Crime Investigation Agency of Gurugram Police.

“We recovered Rs 200 from his possession and we are investigating the source of the money,” said Sumit Kuhar, deputy commissioner of police (crime). “He is involved in multiple cases of rape, theft, and assault. He brutally assaulted his mother six months ago and had run from the village after which his mother moved with the two sisters in Gururgam.”

The girl’s body was found in an abandoned room of Sector 66 on November 12. She was allegedly raped and tortured to death after she was abducted from outside her house. The police registered a case under Section 302 (punishment for murder) and Section 6 (aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act against the accused at Sector 65 police station.

CCTV footage allegedly placed the accused with the victim on the day of the incident. Police launched a massive manhunt for the accused of 70 teams comprising 1,200 police personnel for round-the-clock combing operations and raids in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Leena Dhankhar
Leena Dhankhar is Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Gurugram, at Hindustan Times, where she has spent over 17 years chronicling the transformation of one of India's fastest-growing urban regions. From starting her career as a crime reporter to leading the Gurugram bureau, her journalism has been defined by investigative reporting, in-depth storytelling and an unwavering focus on public interest. Over nearly two decades, she has reported extensively across crime, politics, civic governance, elections, real estate, environment, courts, sports, education and entertainment, covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. Her reporting has exposed several major scams and systemic failures, including insurance frauds, waste management irregularities, illegal arms manufacturing units in Nuh, illegal mining in the Aravallis, organised crime networks and governance lapses affecting millions of residents. Known for her investigative work and exclusive stories, Leena has reported on high-impact national issues, including the Nicaragua charter flight carrying Indian migrants that was turned back amid allegations of human trafficking, exposing the growing network of illegal immigration rackets. Her work has also focused on gang wars, prison administration, juvenile crime, women and child protection systems, the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, and environmental challenges such as pollution, waterlogging and deteriorating civic infrastructure. Beyond hard news, Leena has extensively documented Haryana's rich heritage, forests and wildlife, bringing attention to the state's historical landmarks, biodiversity, conservation efforts and ecological challenges through immersive reportage and feature writing. Her journalism has consistently gone beyond breaking news. She has documented Gurugram's rapid urbanisation through long-form narratives and enterprise reporting on issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads, flooding and waste management to the changing social fabric of India's Millennium City. She also writes widely read feature columns, including The Outsider, Changemaker, and Concern for Gurugram, profiling people, places and ideas shaping the city's identity. Leena is the author of Gurugram School Murder, published by Juggernaut Books, a deeply reported account of one of India's most high-profile school murder investigations. She is currently working on her second book, an investigative work exploring some of India's most significant scams and fraud investigations. Beyond print journalism, she has expanded her storytelling through public speaking and digital media. She is a TEDx speaker and has produced podcasts exploring Gurugram's transformation, civic challenges and untold stories. Her work reflects a commitment to narrative journalism that combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling. A law graduate with an MBA in Human Resources, Leena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her reporting, particularly on governance, public policy and legal affairs. She has travelled extensively across India to pursue investigative assignments, often reporting from remote locations and conflict-prone areas in search of stories that matter.Read More