Minor murdered near Mumbai; cops sent to UP to nab suspect

The child was last seen playing with friends; her body was discovered behind bushes close to her house a day after she went missing

The Bhiwandi police, who are investigating the murder of a four-year-old girl who was found with her hands cut off on Wednesday, said one of the girl’s neighbours was missing and suspect him to be the prime accused. A team has been sent to Uttar Pradesh to nab him.

The deceased, identified as Payal Prasad, also had deep injury marks on her head. (HT File (Representational Image))

The police and the crime branch have questioned more than 20 residents after the body of the minor, identified as Payal Prasad, was found in a jungle area near her house on Wednesday. She was a resident of Gautam Nagar in Bhoiwada in Bhiwandi, around 36km from Mumbai.

A murder case has been registered. Shital Raut, senior inspector from Bhiwandi crime branch (zone 2), said, “We have detained two people for investigation. But we don’t know the reason for the murder. The body was almost decomposed, and we suspect that the deep injury on her head was caused by a hammer or a paver block.”

The body of the girl was handed over to the family after the post-mortem. Cops said they have no evidence to suggest it was a case of human sacrifice as of now.

Payal went missing on Sunday when she was playing outside her house. A missing complaint was registered on Monday.   On Wednesday her body was found in the jungle, around 300m from her house.

“Her brother went home and then went to fetch his sister, but could not find her. We were not able to find the hands,” said V Bhise, senior inspector, Bhoiwada police station. Payal’s father runs a paan shop. “We will question history-sheeters and her relatives to see if her father had any dispute ,” he said.