Police said that the girl’s body is yet to be found, and divers have been deployed in the Munak canal to search for the remains
A nine-year-old girl living in a rented accommodation with her family in north Delhi’s Swaroop Nagar was raped and murdered by her 52-year-old landlord on December 12, and her body was allegedly dumped in the Munak canal, police officers aware of the case said on Tuesday, adding that the accused has been arrested.
Meanwhile, the girl’s family and her neighbours blocked the GT Karnal Road near Swaroop Nagar for 3-4 hours, demanding the strictest of punishments for the accused, and the quick recovery of the victim’s remains. The protesters later dispersed after assurances by police that they are trying their best to find the body
Giving details of the case, officers associated with the case said that the girl lived with her parents — both factory workers — and two younger brothers at the rented house. On December 12, the girl’s mother fed the children, left for work at around 1.30 pm, taking her youngest child — a 2-year-old boy — with her.
According to the family, the middle child — a 6-year-old boy — fell asleep after lunch, and when he woke up at around 5 pm, he couldn’t find his sister and started crying. “A neighbor saw him and stayed with him for half an hour, but then took him to my wife’s factory and said that my daughter was missing,” the minor’s father said.
At around 8.30 pm, the girl’s parents filed a police complaint at the Swaroop Nagar police station, following which a first information report under Indian Penal Code section 363 (punishment for kidnapping) was registered and an investigation was taken up.
Police said that during the probe, CCTV footage was obtained and analyzed, and in one video segment, the girl was seen stepping into a car with a man.
