Girl, 4, found raped, murdered in Chennai home; neighbour held

CHENNAI: A four-and-a-half-year-old girl was found raped and murdered at her house in Thirumullaivoyal on Thursday evening, police said, adding that they had detained a neighbour for questioning in this connection. The girl’s body was sent to the Government General Hospital for autopsy.
A police officer said there were injury marks over the body and blood stains on her underwear, the only garment she was wearing. The girl’s body was sent for autopsy and they were waiting for the doctor’s report, he said.
The girl was alone at home as her mother and brother, a Class II student, had gone to school.
The girl’s mother returned and found the girl missing. The doors of the 550sqft ground floor house were open.
She informed her husband, a mechanic. The couple along with some of their neighbours searched all along the street before going to the Thirumullaivoyal police station, just two streets away, to lodge a complaint.
A police team arrived at the house. Some personnel remained inside, while the others combed the surrounding streets. A short while later, police found a gunny bag, tied with a string, in a bucket of water in the bathroom, opened it and found the girl inside murdered. Senior police officers visited the house and examined the place. Forensic experts collected samples from the girl’s body and from the residence.
An investigation officer said that they questioned some of the couple’s neighbours who recalled seeing a man, aresident of the area, near the house when the girl was alone. “Following this revelation, we detained the man and are questioning him,” the officer said.
The couple live in the ground floor portion, taken on rent, while another another tenant lived on the first floor. The house where the girl’s family lived contained a hall and a small room partitioned into a kitchen, apart from a bedroom. The bathroom where the body was found is attached to the hall, while there was a small verandah with a staircase leading to the first floor.