Cops zero in on victim’s cousin, suspect enmity

LUCKNOW: After failing to nail the culprit even after six days of the gruesome incident of rape and murder of a minor in Gomti Nagar, the city police are baffled on account of contradictory statements of the family members and relatives of the victim.

The minor was raped and murdered on the intervening night of July 7 and 8.

The contradictions have again brought the girl’s relative, who was earlier a suspect but given clean chit after initial probe, under police scanner.

“The victim girl’s relative (son of victim’s maternal aunt) was found at the crime scene when the incident took place. However, the girl’s mother and her maternal uncle and aunt had earlier denied his presence at the venue. This raises suspicions as to why everybody is trying to shield the girl’s cousin,” said a senior cop supervising the investigation.

The cop said the police had reasons for further investigating maternal cousin’s role. He said, “The maternal cousin, who is in his twenties, has criminal instincts and had earlier gone to jail for loot, narcotics and causing nuisance.”

He said the maternal cousin also allegedly hated the girl, her two siblings and their mother, as his father used to spend a major part of his earnings on them and he opposed it.

He said the youth even had a scuffle with his father over the issue. “The youth had even manhandled the girl and her siblings in the past. No other person so far has been found to have any with the girl and her family,” added the cop.

He said 60 stab wounds on the girl’s body also suggested that the assailant apparently had some enmity with her.

The cop added, “The police had quizzed the suspect several times for short periods and he had not given any satisfactory answer. He had earlier said that he and his friend was sleeping near the crime scene on the day of the incident. His claims were, however, found true when his friend was quizzed.”

The cop said the police were gradually trying to extract information from him.

He said the youth could not be exposed to rigorous quizzing as he was of very poor health due to his drinking habit. Besides, he was also suffering from jaundice at present.

It may be mentioned that the girl was kidnapped from the pavement near Mithaiwala crossing where she was sleeping along with her mother and two siblings on the intervening night of July 7. Her mutilated body was later found near Neelkanth sweets shop, around 500 metres from the crossing, on Monday morning.

The autopsy confirmed sexual assault and 60 stab wounds on the body.