A seven-year-old girl was allegedly raped and murdered inside a 22-storey under-construction building at Swan Mills Compound in Sewri.
The incident, according to the Kalachowki police, had occurred between Sunday night and Monday morning.
The victim’s parents are construction labourers who have been working in the building for five months, and live in the compound with 500 other workers.
The body of the victim, Ashima (name changed), was found on the parapet of a window on second floor of the building.
The police said Ashima was kidnapped when she was watching a film with labourers on Sunday night. “Ashima was watching a film with her friend and other workers at a hall on the ground floor. Her friend was engrossed in the movie and did not notice when Ashima went missing,” said Police Inspector Yashwant Gadekar of Kalachowki police station.
“When Ashima’s parents came to call her for dinner, she was not there. When they did not find her, they returned home thinking Ashima might have slept somewhere in the compound,” he said.
On Monday morning, Nirmala Pasre (26), a sweeper, spotted Ashima’s body on the parapet of a window on the second floor.
{{/usCountry}}On Monday morning, Nirmala Pasre (26), a sweeper, spotted Ashima’s body on the parapet of a window on the second floor.
{{/usCountry}}She had been strangled using the salwar she had worn.
“Ashima was strangled after being sexually assaulted. The victim accompanied the accused willingly, so she must have known the accused. He may have lured her with something after which she agreed to accompany him, leaving the film mid-way,” said Gadekar.
“We are sure the accused is one of the residents of the compound and are enquiring all the residents and workers,” Gadekar added.
The police have registered a case of murder and rape against the unidentified accused.