Neighbour Arrested for Kidnapping and Murder of 6-Year-Old Girl in Delhi
In a shocking incident from southeast Delhi, a six-year-old girl reported missing from Sarai Kale Khan was allegedly kidnapped and murdered by her 23-year-old neighbour and distant relative, according to police statements on Monday. The accused, a labourer originally from Jharkhand, was arrested after crucial CCTV footage emerged showing the child in his company hours before her disappearance.
Timeline of the Crime and Investigation
The girl was last seen around 3 PM on February 19. Her father approached the police later that night to formally report her missing. Authorities promptly registered a case under Section 137(2) (kidnapping) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the Sunlight Colony police station on February 20, immediately deploying search teams to locate the child.
Police investigators meticulously scanned CCTV camera footage from the locality and surrounding areas, which provided a critical breakthrough. The footage clearly showed the child walking with the man, who is related to the family as the minor girl's brother-in-law. Investigators revealed that the accused even accompanied the girl's father to the police station to file the missing person complaint, allegedly attempting to mislead the ongoing probe.
Confession and Recovery of the Body
Following the CCTV trail, authorities detained the suspect for questioning. "After sustained interrogation, he confessed when confronted with the footage," stated a senior police officer. "He told the police team that he took the child to an isolated stretch near IP Park, behind Shanti Stupa, where he struck her on the head with a brick. He then threw her body into a nearby well to conceal the crime."
Based on this disclosure, a rescue team was urgently called in to retrieve the body from the well. Police confirmed that the girl sustained a head injury consistent with the suspect's confession.
Ongoing Investigation and Legal Charges
While the primary motive remains unclear at this stage, police emphasized that the possibility of sexual assault cannot be ruled out. Authorities are currently awaiting the postmortem report to determine if the child was sexually assaulted during the incident.
"Section 103 (murder) of BNS was added to the First Information Report (FIR)," the senior officer added, highlighting the escalation of charges from kidnapping to murder as the investigation progressed.
The case has sent shockwaves through the local community, raising serious concerns about child safety and neighbourhood trust. Police continue their investigation to uncover all aspects of this tragic crime.
