Rape-murder suspect identified, say police
GHAZIABAD: Ghaziabad police on Monday said that they have identified a suspect for the rape and murder of the five-year-old girl, who went missing on December 1, with the help of CCTV footage.
Police said that they have also formed 10 teams to expedite the investigation process and are hopeful that the suspect will be nabbed at the earliest.
The girl went missing from outside her house in Sahibabad around 2.30pm on Thursday. Police discovered her body about 30 metres away from her house a day later. The autopsy report confirmed injuries to her private parts and strangulation as the cause of death.
Police added sections for rape, murder and destruction of evidence, besides levying provision of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act at Sahibabad police station. The initial FIR was registered for abduction on December 1.
“Continuing with our investigation, we have come across an unidentified man who is seen in one of the CCTV footage near the girl’s house. The suspect is seen loitering in the area around the same time when the girl went missing,” said Gyanendra Kumar Singh, superintendent of police (city 2).
“In the second CCTV footage, the suspect was spotted again. We have formed 10 teams to probe the case and all probable measures such as local information, facial composite of the suspect and electronic surveillance methods are being taken to expedite the investigation. The unidentified man is the prime suspect as of now and seems to be aged about 20-22 years. He was seen wearing a hoodie,” SP Singh added.
The incident took place in a locality under the jurisdiction of the Sahibabad police station and police rounded up about 30-40 locals for questioning, but their involvement was ruled out. The autopsy stated that she was killed about 18 hours before the conduct of the post mortem. The deceased girl was a student of Class 1 and her family moved to Ghaziabad about five years ago from Kannauj, police said.