19-yr-old held for ‘rape’ and murder of child in Lohardaga

Gumla: A five-year-old girl was strangled by a 19-year-old boy after he allegedly raped her in Lohardaga district on Saturday evening, police said on Saturday. The accused has been identified as Inder Oraon and was arrested after the villagers caught and thrashed him Saturday night.However, police have not confirmed the rape, saying it could be ascertained only after the autopsy report though the accused has been booked under sections 302 (murder) and 376 (rape) of the IPC and the Pocso Act. Villagers said the accused lured the girl with toffees and took her out of the village. After some time, he returned alone and when the villagers asked about the girl , the accused feigned ignorance which made them suspicious. Soon, they found the body of the girl in a desolate place outside the village. They along with the family members of the girl then caught hold of him, thrashed and handed him over to police. A police officer, Vishwajeet Singh, said, “We were informed that a five-year-old girl child was killed by a youth after which we rushed to the village and confirmed it. The accused is arrested. Further investigation is on and we will find out if the child was raped once the post-mortem report comes.”