india

Updated: Sep 17, 2019 01:10 IST

A 25-year-old man allegedly raped and tortured a six-year-old girl before killing her by slitting her throat in Lucknow on Sunday, the Uttar Pradesh police said.

Senior police superintendent Kalanidhi Naithani said the accused held the girl captive for four hours and raped her when she went to give him water. He added the accused worked as a mason along with the girl’s father and frequented their house.

Additional police superintendent Vikas Chandra Tripathi said the girl’s post-mortem report confirmed the sexual assault and revealed the extreme brutality and injuries she had suffered.

“Other than the internal injuries, the girl’s body was inflicted with injuries with a blunt object on the forehead and above the right eyebrow. Strangulation as well slit marks were found on her throat,” said Tripathi.

Tripathi said the accused has confessed to having tortured the girl with a hammer. He added he slit the girl’s throat when she tried to scream and left her to bleed to death under a cot inside his room. The girl’s post-mortem and funeral were held on Monday amid heavy police presence after a group of lawyers tried to attack the accused while he was being produced in a court. The police personnel accompanying the accused managed to rescue him.

The girl’s family and neighbours staged a protest alleging a delayed police response.

Naithani said the situation was under control as the accused was arrested hours after the crime was reported. He said the girl’s family has been assured of stringent action.