Tripura man held for rape, murder of six-year-old girl

The body of the victim, a friend of the accused’s daughter, was found near the man’s house with strangulation marks: Police

AGARTALA : On the afternoon of February 19 afternoon, the sixyear-old left home to play with her friend, also six. A day later, her body was recovered from a jungle, only around 500 metres away from her home located at Gorakhappa’s Baishnabpara in Gomati district, Tripura.

The Baishnabpara village, largely populated by tribals, is around 130 km from Agartala.

On Thursday evening, the police arrested the friend’s father Kachakla Tripura, a 30-year-old daily labourer.

The police, quoting residents of the area, said the minor girl went to Kachakla’s house on February 19 afternoon to play with his daughter. She didn’t return home since then.

The deceased and Kachakala’s daughter were friends and they used to play together everyday, the deceased’s father told the police.

The body was found with stangulation marks on the neck and injuries in the genitals, police said. It was found close to Kachakala’s dwelling.

“We arrested him on Thursday evening based on eyewitnesses and circumstantial evidences. He has been produced before court on Friday,” said Karbook sub divisional police officer Raju Reang.

The minor’s father lodged complaint against the accused at Shilacherri Police Station and on the basis of the complaint, the police registered a case under Section 363, 376(a), 376(ab), 302,201 of IPC and 6 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

According to a report of Tripura Assembly released on September 2019, out of total 240 rape cases registered from April 2018 till July 2019, 117 involve minor victims.

In three of these cases, the minor rape victims were also murdered.