Moradabad, December 29: In the latest development in the Moradabad rape case, the police on Tuesday booked a cousin of the seven-year-old girl who was raped and murdered in Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad district on December 22. Reportedly, the girl went missing when she was playing outside her home on December 22. Her body was found two days later from a sugarcane field around 2 km from her house. Uttar Pradesh Shocker: 14-Year-Old Girl Allegedly Gangraped By Two Youths in Sambhal District; 1 Accused Arrested.

According to a report published in The Times of India, the accused had come from Delhi to visit his family in the district. The accused is 20-year-old and is hiding in Delhi. The police have released photos of the suspect. Teams have been sent to Delhi to arrest him. Uttar Pradesh Shocker: 7-Year-Old Girl Raped And Murdered In Moradabad District; Case Registered Under POCSO Act.

Earlier, the cops registered an FIR in the case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012. In the autopsy report, it was confirmed that the minor girl was sexually assaulted and then murdered. As per the media report, the girl was strangled to death and had injuries all over her body. There were also deep bite marks on the face of the girl.

The police scanned CCTV footage of the area. In the CCTV footage, the minor girl was seen going with him. “We have conclusive evidence that the girl was raped and murdered by her cousin, who lives in Delhi. We have traced his location, and he is likely to be arrested in the next few hours. We have already sent the evidence for forensic tests,” reported the media house quoting Vidya Sagar Mishra, additional SP (rural), as saying. The girl was a daughter of a vegetable seller.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 29, 2021 03:04 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).