The family of the girl, police said, moved to Pune from Latur district a few months ago. Police said the parents of the girl work as labourers for a vegetable trader. The family of the girl, police said, moved to Pune from Latur district a few months ago. Police said the parents of the girl work as labourers for a vegetable trader.

A two-year-old girl in Pune, who was kidnapped from her house in Dhayari Saturday night, was sexually assaulted and strangled to death, police said Sunday. Her body was found in a secluded area near her house Sunday morning. Police said they were yet to make a breakthrough in the case.

An FIR has been registered at Sinhagad Road police station under IPC sections 363 (kidnapping), 376 (rape), 302 (murder) and sections of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The family of the girl, police said, moved to Pune from Latur district a few months ago. Police said the parents of the girl work as labourers for a vegetable trader.

Inspector Baban Khodade said, “The primary probe suggests that the girl was kidnapped from her house when all her family members were asleep. The suspect or suspects managed to open the main door after opening a sliding window, entered the house and fled with the child. Around 11.30 pm, when the parents realised that the girl was not with them, they started looking for her. Later, they informed the police.”

The girl’s father has said in the complaint, “After we called the control room, a police team came to our house and together we searched the area, but my daughter was not found. We later registered a missing person’s complaint.”

As per Maharashtra government directives, charges of kidnapping are invoked in cases of children under 14 going missing.

A police officer said, “Primary reports of the autopsy point to sexual assault and strangulation.”

Police said they are yet to make any arrest.

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