Police complete probe into murder of 4-year-old girl from Nongrah
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Dec 17: Police investigations have found that the 13-year-old boy, picked up in connection with the death of a four-year-old girl from Nongrah Nonglum, had intended to sexually assault the victim before drowning her.
The girl’s body was recovered from a construction site near her home on the morning of September 15, a day after she was reported missing.
“The investigation is now complete, and we have a clear understanding of how the incident unfolded. The investigation revealed that the 13-year-old boy intended to sexually assault the child,” East Khasi Hills SP Vivek Syiem told reporters on Wednesday.
According to the SP, the evidence to this effect was found on the teenager’s phone, including videos he had watched prior to the incident, which indicated premeditation and his plan to take the child to that location.
“He used to watch obscene videos and films on the internet. On that fateful day, he first went to inspect and survey a particular place. After that, he led the child there,” Syiem said.
He said that the boy would always take the child alone, and even on that day, there was only one adult in that household, who was also busy with work.
After taking her to the construction site, the SP said that he attempted to sexually assault her when the child warned that she would inform her Meiduh (aunt).
The boy then drowned her at the construction site, Syiem said.
Replying to a query, he stated that the boy had accessed his mother’s phone, and police have also obtained the phone’s history. “We corroborated this with the mother’s statement, which confirmed that the boy was using her phone. There is a record of the videos he watched. The phone was seized and has been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL),” the SP said.
Syiem said that the statements made by the 13-year-old boy were properly recorded in the presence of counsellors from the Child Welfare Committee (CWC).
Meanwhile, Syiem said that for children who commit any serious offence and are below 18 years of age, there is no punishment in the form of imprisonment.
“The objective is to help them reform, and they are placed in correctional centres. The punishment is not imprisonment, but rather correctional in nature. They are kept in correctional centres until they understand their actions and do not repeat such acts,” he said.
In connection with the case of a seven-year-old boy, who went missing from Lum Marboh in Nongrah, and was found dead at a roadside near Lumrumnong-Mawpat on the morning of October 9, the SP said that they are still trying to determine the motive behind the killing.
“So far, we are probing the motive and have questioned people we suspect. However, the investigation is ongoing to obtain evidence so as to connect the individuals involved in the crime. Without evidence, suspicion alone is not sufficient to make arrests,” Syiem said.
Informing that they have a list of several persons of interest, he also informed that they had received additional forensic reports that may further assist the investigation and possibly help identify those involved.
Stating that the investigation will take time as the case is complex, Syiem said that there are no CCTV cameras in the immediate vicinity, adding that near the place where the body was found, there is CCTV coverage only on one side.
The SP further stated that any routes leading to the location where the body was found do not have CCTV cameras, making the case more challenging.
“Nevertheless, the investigation is continuing. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) is working tirelessly to identify those responsible for this crime,” Syiem added.
