Mumbai girl found dead in Gujarat, suspect middle-aged woman

The investigators believe that the suspect was already known to the victim because of which she never raised the alarm while walking with her. (Photo for Representational Purpose)

Tulinj police have formed five special teams to trace a middle-aged woman who is the prime suspect in the kidnapping and murder of a five-year-old girl from Nallasopara.

Anjali Saroj, a Class I student, was allegedly abducted from her locality in Nallasopara following. Her body was found inside a ladies’ toilet at Navsari railway station in Gujarat. Investigators have scrutinised CCTV footage of the area following which they learnt that the victim allegedly walked away with an unidentified woman for a kilometre and a half and the duo vanished.

The police said that along with local informers, they are also seeking technical help as they have approached various mobile network companies and obtained details on the call record used in the vicinity at the time the girl was reported missing. Deputy SP Jayant Bajbale (Palghar) said, “We have formed special teams to nab the culprit, besides we are also taking technical help in order to crack the case.” The victim was missing since 8.30 pm on Saturday right after playing with her friends. The police said they could clearly see a woman approaching the girl who took her away on the pretext of something. The locals alleged that the suspect waited at the spot for more than an hour.

The investigators believe that the suspect was already known to the victim because of which she never raised the alarm while walking with her. The police said the child’s father, Santosh Saroj, works as a driver in Nallasopara while her grandparents are vegetable vendors in the suburbs.

While her father shuttled between Mumbai and their native Allahabad, where the child’s mother lives, the child lived in Nallasopara (East) with her grandparents and uncle. Anjali was the only child of her parents. The family has not pointed to any possible suspect in the case yet.

Bajbale said: “We could clearly see the two walking for more than a kilometre but she never raised any alarm for help. We have obtained CCTV footage on the basis of which we have come up with a sketch.” The special team is investigating the case from every possible angle but believes this could be a case of family rivalry.

Bajbale said the victim wasn’t sexually assaulted before being killed. “We have got the preliminary post-mortem reports which suggest that she was strangulated to death,” he said.

When asked whether the police failed to react to the complaint after the victim’s kin approached the police on Saturday night, Bajbale said, “The girl went missing at 8.30 pm, following which the victim’s relatives looked for her but as they failed to find her they came to the police station at 11 pm. We instantly registered the case and the FIR formalities were completed by 1.30 am. Later, her body was found at 4 pm on Sunday at Navsari station and we were informed by 11 pm on the same day.” The police have registered the case under relevant sections of kidnapping and murder and are trying to trace the accused.