An FIR was registered under IPC sections 376 (rape), 302 (murder) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to screen offender) along with section 3/4 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
(Representational Image)

A three-year-old girl was allegedly raped and murdered by a 30-year-old man who stuffed the body in a sack in Sitapur district, police said Monday. The accused was beaten up by local residents before he was handed over to the police.

An FIR was registered under IPC sections 376 (rape), 302 (murder) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to screen offender) along with section 3/4 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

“The incident occurred around 5 pm when the girl either happened to go to the residence of the accused or was lured by him to the house. The man sexually assaulted her and killed her. The victim’s family members started looking for her. Some local residents raised suspicion that the 30-year-old man may be behind the girl going missing. They entered his house and found a slipper that belonged to the girl. The people started questioning the man, after which he confessed to killing the girl and hiding the body in his bathroom. The body was found stuffed in a sack. Angry residents thrashed the man and informed the police,” said Additional SP (South), Mahendra P Chauhan.

“We reached the spot and arrested the man. He was produced before a court that sent him to jail on Tuesday. We are waiting for the postmortem report to confirm the cause of death. Local residents have alleged that the man harassed girls and women in the past, too,” Chauhan added.

After the arrest of the accused, local residents blocked a portion of the Lucknow-Shahjahanpur highway and demanded strict action in the case.