KOCHI: Ernakulam Rural police have filed a chargesheet in the case involving the sexual assault and murder of a five-year-old girl by a Bihar native near Aluva market. The accused, Asafak Alam, has been charged under multiple counts, including murder and Pocso. The chargesheet was filed before the Ernakulam Additional Pocso Court on Friday by an investigating team led by Ernakulam Rural SP Vivek Kumar.
The chargesheet has been filed on the basis of strong circumstantial evidence, scientific and cyber-forensic evidence, doctors’ reports and medical records. Since there are no eyewitnesses in the case, the scientific evidence will be crucial. Material evidence, including shoes, clothes and crucial documents are part of the charge sheet. Evidence collected by the two special investigation teams from Bihar and Delhi was also included in the report. In the 645-page chargesheet, 62 pieces of evidence have been submitted.
It was just over a month ago that Asafak kidnapped the girl from her home. The girl was later taken to an abandoned area behind Aluva market. There he raped and strangled her to death. It took a day for police to trace the body, which was recovered from a garbage pit. The probe by a special investigation team linked Asafak to the crime.
“He is a habitual offender. A Pocso case has also been registered against him in his native village. The chargesheet has been prepared in such a way as to ensure maximum punishment for the accused. A request to start the trial immediately was also submitted to the court today,” said Vivek Kumar. The case was investigated by a special team comprising DYSP P Prasad and inspector M M Manjudas. Mohan Raj is the special public prosecutor.