Man Arrested and Juvenile Detained for Murder of Seven-Year-Old Girl in Ghaziabad
A seven-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped, hit on the head with an iron rod, and killed after falling through a shaft at an under-construction mall in Nandgram, Ghaziabad. Police recovered her body from the basement of the building at around 1:00 AM on Saturday, subsequently arresting an adult man and detaining a juvenile.
The victim's family, originally from Bihar, work as labourers at the under-construction mall and reside in nearby jhuggis. According to the police, both of the accused also resided in the same jhuggi cluster.
The two suspects were identified using CCTV camera footage, which captured them leading the girl toward the under-construction building on Friday evening.
DCP (City and Trans Hindon) Dhawal Jaiswal stated that the girl was assaulted on the third floor of the building. The accused then hit her on the head with an iron rod, causing her to fall through an open shaft into the basement because there was nothing to hold onto.
The girl's father began searching for her around 7:00 PM on Friday when she did not return home from playing outside with her brothers. After a four-hour search, approximately 40 neighbours and night-shift labourers joined the effort.
During the search, a painter reported seeing the girl walking toward the building with two individuals. The search party also spoke with the mall's security guard, who recalled hearing a girl scream "mummy" but did not investigate further when no one answered his call.
Nandgram police were informed and subsequently located the girl's body in the basement.
ACP (Officiating), Nandgram, Priyashi Pal said the body was taken into custody and a post-mortem examination was conducted. A Forensic Science Laboratory team also collected evidence from the crime scene on the third floor, which was marked by bloodstains amid construction debris.
Based on a complaint filed by the victim’s family, the accused have been booked under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for rape, kidnapping, and murder, as well as under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
