HYDERABAD: Not unlike an Agatha Christie whodunnit, Rachakonda police identified a man, accused of raping and murdering a minor boy, through his haircut and the colour of the slippers he was holding in his hand while fleeing from the scene of the crime.

Four days ago, Balapur police had found the body of a seven-year-old boy murdered near Jalpally lake. During the investigation, it was ascertained that the boy had left his house at 9pm to purchase a soft drink. The accused, Omer Bin Hassan (24), nabbed the boy and managed to take him to an isolated place to rape him.

As the boy resisted and tried to raise an alarm, the accused panicked and hit him with a large rock. A woman, who was offering namaz (prayers) nearby heard the cries. However, before she could do anything, the accused killed the boy with another blow.

While fleeing from the scene of crime, he had a pair of red slippers in his hand. This hurried manner of walking was what helped the police close in on accused. However, in the video, the accused could only be seen from the behind.

A task force police official said, “A witness who observed him (accused) running away gave us a description of what he was wearing. The witness said his slippers were bright red. During our enquiry, we found a man who fit this description. Once we cross-referenced his haircut to the one we saw in the video, we were able to confirm his identity.”