Assaulted by mother’s live-in partner, 7-year-old girl succumbs to injuries in Ludhiana

25-yr-old accused says he killed the girl as she was a “hurdle” in their relationship.

Three days after a 25-year-old man was booked for rape bid and physical assault on live-in partner’s minor daughter, the seven-year-old succumbed to her injuries after struggling for seven days at a private hospital on Gill Road on Tuesday.

Representative Image

During interrogation, accused Amit Kumar, who was staying with his 36-year-old partner at a rented accommodation at Daba road, said he wanted to get rid of his partner’s girl as she was a “hurdle” in their relationship, police said. Amit told police he assaulted the girl when he found her alone at their rented accommodation.

Shimlapuri station house officer (SHO) Davinder Singh said the police had arrested mother of the victim on September 29, a day after the FIR was lodged.

The SHO had earlier said that as the victim returned from school, the accused attempted to sexually abuse her. “When she resisted, he thrashed her with sticks and iron rod. The accused also slapped and kicked the girl,” he had said. The inspector said they added section of murder to the FIR registered against the accused, who was arrested on late Monday night. He added that initially the police lodged FIR under Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 325 (punishment for voluntarily causing grievous hurt), 376/511 (attempt to rape), 34 (act done by several persons in furtherance of common intension) of the IPC and Sections 3 and 4 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

In his complaint, victim’s uncle had alleged that on September 26, when his sister — who worked as a peon in a local factory — had gone to work, the accused attempted to rape her daughter. “The accused thrashed my niece brutally following which she lost consciousness,” he had told the police. “Instead of informing police, my sister rushed her daughter to a hospital and told doctors that she met with an accident,” he added. The victim’s mother was also named in the FIR for allegedly concealing the information.

Complainant, a sanitary worker in Punjab Agriculture University (PAU), said his sister got married to an Abohar based man 13 years back. She had three daughters from the marriage, but two out of three had died. His sister eloped with her paramour and started living with him in live-in. Her 7-year-old daughter was also living with her.

He had also alleged that instead of calling police, his sister had tried to conceal details of the case. “Instead of informing police, my sister rushed her daughter to a hospital and told doctors that she met with an accident,” he had told police.