Ghaziabad Horror: 7-year-old girl sexually assaulted, murdered; body found in mall basement
A 7-year-old girl was sexually assaulted and killed in Ghaziabad's Raj Nagar Extension. Her body was found in the basement of an under-construction mall. Police have detained suspects; two remain absconding
Ghaziabad Horror: A shocking case of child sexual assault and murder has come to light in Ghaziabad, UP, where the body of a seven-year-old girl was found in the basement of an under-construction mall on Saturday.
Doctors who carried out the post-mortem examination confirmed that the child had been sexually assaulted before she was killed. The report also states that her death was caused by a severe injury to the head.
The girl's body was found early Saturday morning. Acting on a complaint filed by her family, the police have registered a case and launched an investigation. The incident took place in the Raj Nagar Extension locality, which falls under the jurisdiction of Nandgram police station.
Family members say the child's body showed signs of a serious head injury along with several fractures. She was found in the basement area of the same building.
Investigators believe the girl may have fallen or been pushed from the third floor of the under-construction structure, though this has not yet been confirmed.
So far, the Ghaziabad police have taken four to five persons into custody for questioning in connection with the case. The FIR includes charges of rape, murder, kidnapping, and offences under the POCSO Act. Two other suspects are still evading arrest. Cops are examining CCTV footage from the surrounding area to piece together what happened and who was involved.
According to the girl's uncle, she had gone missing on Friday evening and her family had spent hours searching for her before the tragic discovery. Her parents are daily-wage labourers employed at the very construction site where the mall is being built and the family lives in temporary housing set up on the site.
The news of the child's murder spread quickly through the neighbourhood, sparking outrage among residents. In the heat of the moment, some locals tried to attack a security guard posted at the construction site. To control the situation, additional police forces were called in to the area.
DCP (Rural) Surendra Nath Tiwari said the police received a call around 1 am on July 11 reporting that a girl's body had been found inside the under-construction mall. A team from Nandgram police station rushed to the scene. A forensic science laboratory (FSL) team also examined the site and collected evidence.
ACP Nandgram, Priyashree Pal, said the police acted swiftly upon receiving the information. She confirmed that forensic evidence has been gathered an FIR has been filed based on the family's complaint. Multiple suspects are currently being interrogated.