Minor’s rape and murder: Mumbai cops arrest three, one still at large

The Navghar police on Saturday arrested three scrap loaders for alleged rape and murder of a four-year-old girl whose body was found in a nullah in Bhayander on January 12.

The Navghar police on Saturday arrested three scrap loaders for allegedly raping and murdering a four-year-old girl whose body was found in a nullah in Bhayander on January 12. One more person is yet to be arrested.

CCTV camera footage helped the Navghar police nab the three scrap loaders, said an inspector. (Azim Tamboli)

The four accused are Mohammed Younus Haji Mohanmed Bashir Shah alias Zero, Mohammed Rozan Ishaq Raini alias Langda (who is differently-abled), Jitendra Rai and Rajesh (who is absconding), said inspector Shrikant Padule of Navghar police station, adding that they are aged 22-25.

The deceased was a resident of Azad Nagar in Bhayander (East). The victim’s father is a truck driver.

On January 9, the main accused, Shah, had lured the minor with chocolates and then took her to a desolate spot where his accomplices were waiting, said the police. “Shah, who was known to the girl’s family, raped her while the three gagged her and pinned her to the ground.After the gruesome act, the victim was hit with an iron object on her head, leading to her death,” added the police. After killing her, the men dumped her body in a nullah and coolly went to a hotel to have fish and rice, said Padule.

“Since the body was found, we had rounded up 10 suspects for questioning. Of them, one matched the profile of a differently-abled person after we scanned CCTV camera footage. We nabbed the three men,” said the inspector. The accused have been arrested under charges of rape,kidnapping and destroying evidence and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act 2012, the police said. The arrested accused will be produced before the Thane court on Sunday.

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