BELAGAVI:A three-year-old girl was allegedly raped and murdered by a 32-year-old man who was also her uncle. The body of the victim was found in a sugarcane field on Thursday evening in Kurubagodi village of Raibag, located about 130km away from Belagavi.
Police said the accused Uddappa Ramappa Ganiger, resident of Kurubagoddi lured the girl by giving her chocolates and took her to the nearby field located close to her house. Villagers who saw the accused taking the girl did not suspect any foul play as he was her relative. Ganiger allegedly raped the minor girl and strangled her to death in the field. Later, he buried her partially in the field.
In the evening, when the child’s parents started searching for her, the villagers who had seen the girl with the accused, informed the parents who questioned Ganiger. His suspicious behaviour irked the parents and the villagers who then thrashed him and handed him over to the police.
During police interrogation, Ganiger said that he had allegedly raped the girl and strangulated her before burying her in the field. He led the team of police to the spot where the body of the girl was recovered.
Harurgeri police have filed charges against Ganiger under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) along with kidnap and murder charges.
Tension prevails at district hospital
Tension prevailed at Belagavi district hospital on Friday after many agitators, including members of women organisations, staged a protest demanding that the police should hand over the accused to them. Deputy Commissioner of Police Amarnath Reddy along with his team rushed to the spot and pacified the agitators. Heavy police security was provided at the district hospital premises to avoid any untoward incident.