Toddler raped, strangled to death by neighbour in UP’s Hamirpur

Hamirpur: A three-year-old girl was allegedly raped and strangled to death after being lured away by a neighbour here, with angry villagers refusing to allow the body to be taken away and pelting stones at police vehicles, officials said on Monday.

The incident occurred in Muskara police station area on Sunday afternoon.

According to police, the toddler was playing outside her home when the 30-year-old neighbour allegedly lured her into a nearby field, where he raped her before strangling her to death with her own pajama trousers.

Later, when the family began searching for the girl, the accused allegedly pretended to assist them in the search. The girl’s body was discovered in the field around 8.00 pm.

Following the discovery, the family turned in the accused to the police.

Circle Officer (Rath) Rajkumar Pandey said while the police were taking the accused for questioning, he attempted to escape by firing at officers using a country-made pistol that he had concealed on his person.

In the ensuing retaliatory fire, the accused was shot in the leg. He is currently undergoing treatment at the district hospital.

When police attempted to take away the girl’s body, angry villagers allegedly created a commotion and pelted stones at police vehicles, officials said.

Six vehicles — including those belonging to the circle officer and the station house officers of Rath and Binwar police stations — were damaged, they said.

Police used minimal force to disperse the crowd and took the body into custody, officials said, adding that the body has been sent for post-mortem.

A case has been registered against the accused under relevant provisions of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

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