India: Man arrested for rape-murder of 11-year-old girl in Haridwar

Haridwar, Dec 21 (PTI) A man was arrested for allegedly raping and killing an 11-year-old girl here on Monday, police said.

The man has been identified as Ram Tirath. His maternal uncle Rajiv, who was also accused of being involved in the crime, is absconding, the police said.

The girl had gone out to play around 4 pm on Sunday and did not return home.

Police sprang into action when the girl's father, a contractor, lodged a missing complaint in connection with the incident.

When police was examining CCTV footage from Rishikul Nayi Basti area, where the girl lived, a five-year-old boy revealed that she had been called to Rajiv's readymade garments shop by the shop owner's nephew Ram Tirath who offered to give her a kite.

Ram Tirath was taken into custody immediately.

On the basis of clues provided by him, the missing girl's body was recovered from the second floor of the shop's godown.

The post-mortem was conducted by a panel of three doctors on camera amid heavy police deployment at the district hospital.

Based on her father's complaint, police have registered a case of rape and murder and sections of the POCSO Act against Ram Tirath and Rajiv, SP (City) Kamlesh Upadhyay said.

Tension prevailed in the area with angry residents vandalising Rajiv's godown.

Heavy police deployment has been made in the area and search is on to trace Rajiv, the official said.