GHAZIABAD: The body of a seven-year-old girl was found at an under-construction mall in Raj Nagar Extension of Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh, officials said on Saturday.
Police have detained some suspects in connection with the incident and are probing the case from all possible angles, an official said.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Ziauddin Ahmad said Nandgram police station received information around 1 am on Saturday that a child’s body had been found inside the under-construction mall.
Subsequently, police personnel reached the spot and senior officers inspected the scene. A forensic team was also called to collect evidence from the site, the ACP said. He said a case has been registered under relevant provisions based on a complaint lodged by the girl’s family. Some suspects have been detained for questioning, and police are investigating the case from all possible angles.
The victim, whose parents work as migrant labourers from Bihar, had been staying in a temporary shelter near a construction site in Raj Nagar Extension for the last two to three years. “On Friday, I was nearby and my wife was cooking. Between 7 to 7:30 pm, my daughter was playing with her brothers. When she didn’t return, we started looking for her. Later, we found her body in the basement of the under-construction mall around 1 am, after which we informed police about the incident,” the girl’s father said.
He claimed that one of his sons told them that two men had lured the girl away by offering her snacks and a cold drink. They family claimed that CCTV footage showed two men taking her way.
Family members alleged that the accused lured her inside the building with chips and soft drinks and later assaulted and killed her. They claimed that the girl’s body was found without clothes and had injuries on her head and face. They are also demanding strict action against the accused involved.