Suspicious death of girl-child: Minor, two women apprehended in Punganur

Financial dispute between the father of the victim and one of the accused is reported to be the reason behind the murder, says Chittoor Superintendent of Police

The Chittoor district police on Sunday announced that three accused, including a minor, were taken into custody in the abduction and murder of a 6-year-old girl in Punganur town. The body of the girlchild, Asfiya, who went missing on the evening of September 29 was found floating on a waterbody in the town on October 2.

The incident that drew widespread attention in the State led the Andhra Pradesh government to direct Chittoor SP Manikanta Chandolu to apprehend the individuals responsible for it. Following extensive investigation, the police detained three accused, including two women, a mother and her daughter, and a minor boy, on Sunday.

Addressing a press conference here, the SP disclosed that monetary transactions were the motive behind the tragic murder of the girl child. The SP attributed the heinous act to a financial dispute between the victim’s father and a woman in the neighborhood, who borrowed ₹3.5 lakh from the former.

Contrary to circulating rumors of rape and murder, Mr. Manikanta Chandolu clarified that the victim was not subjected to sexual assault, citing information from the postmortem report. “The unfortunate events unfolded on the evening of September 29, when a woman in a burqa lured the girl with chocolate, took her home, and subsequently killed her. The investigation revealed that the perpetrators transported the victim’s body on a two-wheeler and disposed of it in a summer storage tank on the outskirts. Before murdering the child, she was served food,” the SP said.

SP Manikanta Chandolu also stated that on the evening of the girl’s disappearance, her family promptly reported the incident to the Punganur Police Station, resulting in the immediate registration of a missing case. A total of 12 special teams were formed to locate the child. On October 2, the authorities discovered the victim’s body in the summer storage tank. The SP said that swift action taken by the police had ultimately led to the identification and apprehension of the accused.

Published - October 06, 2024 05:08 pm IST