The seven-year-old girl, whose body was found on Sunday morning from the terrace of a mosque in Ghaziabad’s Muradnagar, was raped before being murdered, said the police on Monday.
The child died of strangulation, a senior officer said, adding that based on the autopsy reports, relevant sections of Indian Penal Code and Protection of Child Against Sexual Offence (POCSO) Act, has been registered against four named persons.
“Based on the complaint received from victim’s father, police lodged a first information report against four neighbours under Sections 302 [murder], 363 [kidnapping], 376 [rape] of the Indian Penal Code and relevant Sections of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences [POCSO] Act has been registered against them. We have formed teams which are conducting raids at various places. The accused will soon be arrested,” said Lakshendra Kumar, Station House Officer, Muradnagar police station.
The seven-year-old girl went missing from a nearby market on October 6 afternoon.
“We searched the locality and also asked the shopkeepers but we could not find her. In the evening, we lodged a missing complaint at Muradnagar police station,” the girl’s father said.
Body packed in sack
Her body was found packed in a gunny bag on the terrace of a mosque in Muradnagar on Sunday morning.
The sack was first noticed by a local, who saw flies buzzing around it and alerted others.
Then the police were informed about the same.
There were injury marks on her face and head, the police said.
‘Political rivalry’
The family has registered a complaint against four neighbours with whom they claim to have a political enmity. The accused are absconding, the police added.