In a shocking incident that took place in Punjab’s Jalandhar city, a 13-year old girl was found brutally murdered in a neighbour’s house on Saturday night. The victim’s body was recovered from the washroom of a 46-year-old man’s house, who was later thrashed by an enraged mob. According to reports, the incident occurred around 6 pm. The girl is suspected of having been strangled to death.
Accused Arrested For Rape-Murder
The accused has been arrested on rape and murder charges of his teenage daughter’s best friend, who lived adjacent to his house. Police commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur Randhawa said the victim visited the accused’s house to meet his daughter, but she had gone out at that time. The victim’s family had filed a missing persons complaint after she didn’t return. The family tried to search but failed. They filed a police complaint, following which an investigation was launched.
Locals Check CCTV Footage
Some locals spotted the girl entering the accused’s house on the CCTV around 4 pm. When the police returned empty-handed after visiting the house, they checked the footage again, but the girl did not come out of the house even until 5.15 pm.
“When the locals enquired about the girl from the accused, he failed to give a satisfactory answer. He also showed reluctance when the locals insisted on searching his house. Infuriated, the locals barged into his house and saw the body in one of the washrooms,” HT quoted Randhawa as saying.
Probe Underway
The suspect was alone at his house at that time as his wife and their daughter had gone out of the station. The locals alleged that the suspect intended to take away the dead body in a vehicle to dispose of it. A probe is underway, and what exactly happened with the girl will be confirmed once the post-mortem reports come. Meanwhile, a case has been registered against the accused under sections 103 (murder), 65(1) (rape) of the BNS and other relevant sections of the POCSO Act.
