UP: Nine-year-old raped, strangled to death in Unnao

KANPUR: A nine-year-old class Vth student, who was allegedly raped and strangled by an unidentified man in Unnao, died at Lala Lajpat Rai hospital on late Tuesday night.
The gruesome incident took place within the limits of Bihar police station area of Unnao. The incident is a horrific reminder of a gruesome case, which took place under the limits of the same police station area last year, wherein a girl was set ablaze by five men a year after being brutalised.
In the FIR, the minor’s family alleged that she was abducted and raped by an unidentified man, who later strangled and dumped her at a secluded spot and fled.
Police said that the identity of the accused is yet to be ascertained, who has been booked under Section 376/302 of IPC and 3 & 4 Pocso Act.
Talking to TOI, SP Unnao Vikrant Veer said, “We have picked up few suspects for questioning and are further investigating the matter. We have registered the FIR under Section 376 of IPC for rape, Section 302 for murder and 3 & 4 of the Pocso Act. Separate teams have been formed and raids are under way for an early breakthrough.”
The minor’s father told mediapersons that the girl had left home to witness `Phag', a singing programme on the occasion of Holi in the vicinity.
"The perpetrator probably lured her over some pretext and took her to a nearby agricultural field and raped her before strangulating. On being informed by locals, we rushed to the spot and found her lying unconscious with pouches of liquor and snacks lying nearby. We immediately alerted police,” he said.
The girl was rushed to a Community Health Centre (CHC). As her condition deteriorated, doctors at the CHC referred her to Lala Lajpat Rai hospital, where she died on Tuesday night while undergoing treatment. “The girl was brought to the hospital in a critical condition. We had put her on ventilator support, but the girl never regained conscious,” said a doctor at LLR.
(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault)