AFP photo used for representational purpose only

CHANDIGARH: Nuh police have arrested a man for the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl, whose body was found in the Aravali hills in Ferozpur Jhirka area on December 26, 2019.

According to police, the accused, who was a drug addict, had tried to steal a goat owned by the girl’s family. As she had resisted the act, the accused had allegedly raped and strangulated her with her dupatta, the police said, quoting the confession statement of the accused.

“We have taken him on police remand to recover the clothes he wore on the day of crime and re-construction of the crime scene,” Firozpur Jhirka station house officer (SHO) Hari Singh said.

The accused’s images with the stolen goat were first captured on the CCTV camera installed in Firozpur Jhirka area. On December 28, he was picked up for questioning. Initially, he tried to mislead the police, but later he confessed about the crime.

Police said in order to arrange money for drugs, the accused had stolen a goat belonging to the victim’s family. As the girl spotted the goat, she approached him and tried to take back the animal.

After murdering the girl, the accused used another route to cross Ferozpur Jhirka. He was apprehended before he could take the goat to New Delhi.

She along with two other girls had gone to the Aravali hills to graze the goats. Two girls had returned, but the victim had remained untraceable. On December 26, villagers launched the search and found her body. Her half-naked body was spotted hanging upside down.

Meanwhile, residents of the village where the victim belonged sought death penalty for the accused and urged the Nuh deputy commissioner to write to the home department for fast track trial in the case.

(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault)

