In another deplorable incident, a man named Zahid brutally choked a minor girl, Tina Sharma (name changed), resident of Tappal, Aligarh district, Uttar Pradesh, to death, over an argument with her family regarding a small loan amount, reports Amar Ujala.

Zahid along with his friend Aslam has been arrested Tuesday after the Aligarh police recovered baby Tina body from a dumping ground nearby on June 2, three days after Tina went missing from her house.

Zahid had brutally choked Tina with a dupatta (scarf) and hid the body in his house in a straw bag. After three days when the corpse started emitting a foul smell, Zahid threw Tina in a pile of trash. Tina’s body was completely decomposed with her eyes gouged out.

Meanwhile, Tina’s family confirmed that they owed Zahid a sum of Rs 10,000, for which the two got into an argument the night before Tina disappeared from the village. Zahid had apparently warned Tina’s family of dire consequences.

During interrogation, Zahid owned up to the crime saying that he had lured the child by offering her biscuits.

Circle Officer, Pankaj Srivastav confirmed that a manhunt was launched after the police recovered Tina’s decomposed body from a garbage dump on June 2. The news spread after the deceased was recovered. The villagers agitated outside Tappal police station and demanded a new station in-charge. The near-by markets also remained closed for almost two hours, until the police managed to disperse the crowd.

Angered by the incident, the protestors sat on an indefinite hunger strike in front of Punjab National Bank on the Aligarh-Palwal route demanding justice for baby Tina.

Meanwhile, Banwari Lal Sharma, father of the deceased, confirmed that the SSP had assured the family of resolving the entire case within the next two days.