The Aligarh police will recommend to book two men arrested for allegedly killing, mutilating and gouging out eyes of a three-year-old girl in Tappal under the National Security Act (NSA), a police officer said.

A person can be imprisoned for up to a year without being charged under the NSA.

An initial probe has indicated that the killing was the fallout of a monetary dispute. “A case of kidnapping was registered on May 31. The accused have been arrested and they have confessed to the crime. It was a case of personal enmity and there is no sign of rape. The minor was strangled to death and her eyes were gouged out. The accused are in jail now,” said senior police superintendent Akash Kulhari.“Post-mortem examination has not found any sign of sexual assault. The report confirmed death due to strangulation,” Kulhari added

Kulhari added that the girl’s body was recovered from a garbage dump near her house three days after she went missing from Tappal on May 31.

The two accused have been identified as Zahid and Aslam. Kulhari said the process has begun to charge the duo under the NSA in view of the gravity of the crime and to have the case fast-tracked.

“We can assure fair investigation and the case would be taken up in a fast track court. A recommendation would be made to impose the NSA,” Kulhari said.

The girl’s father said other family members of the accused should be arrested as the crime could not have been carried out without their knowledge.

He claimed he had borrowed Rs 40,000 to Zahid. He added he returned Rs 35,000, but threatened him when asked to pay the remaining Rs 5,000.

He threatened he would start a fast unto death if no further arrests were made.

Security in Tappal has been tightened as a precautionary step as the accused and the victim belong to different communities. Local leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party met the girl’s family and provided a relief of ~2 lakh. They assured them of action against the guilty.

News agency Indo-Asian News Service quoted unnamed media reports and said the girl’s relatives earlier blocked roads in protest against the murder. They had to be pacified by senior police officials, it reported.

First Published: Jun 06, 2019 23:54 IST