Body of kidnapped and raped 6-year-old girl found on roof of mosque in Ghaziabad
Ghaziabad, Oct 08: A six-year-old girl, who had gone missing outside her house in Muradnagar on Saturday, was found raped and murdered on Sunday.
Her body was spotted on the roof of a mosque in her locality falling under the jurisdiction of the Muradnagar police station on Sunday morning. The police confirmed that she had been raped after they received the results of the autopsy.
The class 2 student had gone missing around 12.45pm on Saturday. Her family said that they had complained to the police the same day, who then lodged an FIR for kidnapping against unidentified persons on Saturday night. However, after the discovery of the body, which bore injury marks on the face and legs, her family has alleged the involvement of their neighbours, including the local councillor.
“The autopsy report confirmed that there was sexual assault and she died of strangulation,” Vaibhav Krishna, senior superintendent of police (SSP), said.
He added that the case will now be converted under the Indian Penal Code’s sections of murder and rape, and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act will also be levied.
The girl was to turn seven in December and was the second of her four siblings. Her father runs a private school in Muradnagar.
“My daughter and my younger son had gone to a local market to buy fruit juice on Saturday afternoon. While my son returned home, my daughter did not. In the footage from the CCTV camera installed in the colony, she is seen walking away from the house but the camera could not capture any more of her movements. We searched for her everywhere, including in the mosque, until 3am on Sunday. But she could not be traced. In the meantime, we also complained to the police,” the girl’s father said.
He said her body was spotted by people offering namaz at the mosque around 5.45am on Sunday.
“We were offering namaz and heard some monkeys jumping on the roof. Some people went upstairs to drive them away and one of them spotted her legs sticking out. He called others. I also ran upstairs and found that it was my daughter. We have long-standing enmity with our neighbours and suspect their involvement. We have told the police about that as well,” he said.
The houses of the girl and the suspects are close to the mosque.
Considering the gravity of the incident, the police deployed personnel at the mosque as well as the locality. The officials said that barring women and an ailing patient, persons from the suspected family were not found at their home.
The girl’s father said that during the 2012 local body elections, his cousin had contested against the suspects but lost.
“Since my cousin was contesting, I accompanied him for canvassing. My neighbours tried to pressurise me against doing that, but I continued to support him. Three months ago, they severely beat up my cousin and we lodged a police complaint. Thereafter, elders from the locality asked us to reach a compromise,” he added.
He added that during the local body elections in 2018, his neighbours called him over to their house several times, but he refused to go.
“Everyone from the locality went to their house, but I did not go despite several calls. They were offended and that is why they nursed a grudge against me,” he added.
The police have formed teams and trying to trace the suspects.
“The family has alleged that their neighbours are involved in the murder. The suspects, including the councillor, are on the run. We are investigating the case in detail and are probing all angles. Teams have been formed to trace the suspects, so we can question them,” SSP Krishna added.
Courtesy: www.hindustantimes.com
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
