Picture used for representational purpose only

AGRA: Two years after setting his neighbour’s house on fire, a 15-year-old youth was on Thursday detained by police in UP’s Kasganj for allegedly murdering his seven-year-old cousin sister for making fun of his “flat nose”. The Class X student, who was hiding at railway station for the last four days, was nabbed on Thursday.

Kasganj circle officer Indra Prakash Singh said, “The motive of murder shocked all of us. During questioning, the teenager said that he was deeply enraged over victim’s continues bullying. She would often tease him for his flat nose, and called him ‘naak chapta’.

Dinesh Kumar Dubey, station house officer of Kasganj said, “The teenager is short-tempered. Two years ago, he had set his neighbour’s house on fire on minor dispute and was later booked. On Monday, when he returned home from school, the girl teased him, after which the enraged teenager strangulated the girl by climbing on her chest. At the time of the incident, there was no one at home. When the accused’s grandmother came, he told her that he punished the girl for bullying him.”

Speaking to TOI, CO Singh said, “Strangely, the boy had no remorse or guilt for what he did. He, in fact, joined us in search of the girl after hiding her body in the house. On Tuesday, his grandmother sent him school. But, when he returned in the afternoon, she made him flee after police raided the house and recovered the victim’s body.”

The accused’s parents were not in the town when the murder took place, police said.

Residents of the locality said that the girl left home at 1:30pm to attend tuition classes, but did not reach her destination. “Then, her tutor called the girl’s parents asking about her, after which her relatives started looking for her. At around 6pm, the local police were informed about the missing girl. After which, six police teams, led by CO city Indra Prakash Singh and SHO Dinesh Kumar Dubey, started a search operation, but failed to locate the girl,” a resident said.

On Tuesday morning, a foul smell from accused’s home led the police team to conduct a raid and recover the victim’s body.

“Police also arrested the grandmother on the same day as she obstructed us from entering into house to recover the victim’s body,” a police officer said. “Based on the written complaint given by the victim’s father, an FIR has been lodged against two persons, and they have been booked under IPC section 302 (murder),” added CO Kasganj.

