Minor raped, murdered by uncle; accused held

Durg, April 7: A six-year-old girl was sexually assaulted and murdered allegedly by her uncle, who placed her body in a car in Chhattisgarh’s Durg city, police said on Monday.
The 24-year-old accused was one of the three suspects the police had earlier detained for questioning in connection with the incident in the Mohan Nagar police station area on Sunday, Durg Additional Superintendent of Police Sukhnandan Rathore told reporters.
He said the two other suspects were allowed to leave after their involvement in the crime.
Rathore said the girl had gone to her grandmother’s house in the neighbourhood for a function on the ninth day of the ‘Navratri’ festival on Sunday morning. Her grandmother and another relative had gone to a temple, and the accused was alone in the house.
The accused allegedly sexually assaulted the child, killed her, and later placed her body inside a neighbour’s car, he said.
The official said the car was regularly parked there, and the accused knew that one of its doors remained unlocked.
When the child did not return home till evening, her family members launched a search, and a missing person’s complaint was lodged subsequently, he said.
The police found the body inside the car in the neighbourhood at night, Rathore said.
The official said the girl’s body bore injury marks, and the medical report confirmed sexual assault.
He said the police had initially detained three suspects, including the car owner and the girl’s uncle, for questioning. Rathore said the uncle’s involvement surfaced during the probe, and he was arrested.
The official said a case has been registered against the accused on charges of rape, murder, kidnapping and others.
Angered by the incident, locals vandalised the car and set fire to it on Sunday night. However, the police brought the situation under control and doused the flames.
On Monday, the girl’s relatives protested outside the police station with her body. Protestors also intercepted the police when the suspects were being taken to a hospital for medical examination. (PTI)