Etah: 9-yr-old ‘raped’, murdered; man held

The girl’s father alleged that his daughter was raped and then murdered by a resident of their village Pintoo Kumar. The CO said Pintoo was part of the team of cooks hired for the wedding. The girl’s father told police that some locals have seen his daughter with Pintoo before she went missing, the CO added. Pintoo was arrested later in
the day.

A case was lodged on charges of rape and murder under IPC sections and Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), the CO said.

“We could not examine the body as it was sent for the autopsy early morning. The girl’s clothes were intact and injury mark was not visible on the body. But, it appears that the victim was smothered to death. The father of the girl has alleged sexual assault, but the autopsy  report will confirm it,” said  the CO. The police officer said that the accused was drunk even when he was arrested. “He has been changing his statements and not confessed to the crime,” he added.

Station House Officer of Aliganj police station Pramod Kumar Kureel said that during preliminary investigation, it has been found that Pintoo had asked the girl for a glass of water and later allegedly lured her to go with him out of the wedding venue. The incident comes two days after a seven-year-old girl was raped and strangulated to death allegedly by a 19-year-old youth at a marriage ceremony in City Kotwali area of the same district.