Ghaziabad: Minor girl raped and murdered at under-construction mall; one arrested

A seven-year-old girl was raped and killed at an under-construction mall in Ghaziabad late Friday, with police arresting one man and detaining a juvenile in connection with the crime. The girl's body was recovered from the basement of the building around 1 am on Saturday, police said.

According to ACP (Officiating), Nandgram, Priyashi Pal, the accused were identified through CCTV footage that showed them leading the girl into the under-construction building. Deputy Commissioner of Police (City and Trans Hindon) Dhawal Jaiswal said the assault occurred on the third floor, after which the girl was struck on the head with an iron rod and fell through an unprotected shaft into the basement.

The victim's family, originally from Bihar, works as labourers at the same construction site and lives in a nearby jhuggi cluster. The accused also resided in the same cluster, police said.

Based on a complaint by the girl's family, the accused have been booked under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including rape, kidnapping and murder, as well as under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The girl's father reported her missing around 7 pm on Friday after she failed to return home from playing outside. A search involving neighbours and other labourers continued for hours. A painter passing by told them he had seen the girl with two persons heading towards the building. The security guard at the mall said he heard a girl screaming for her mother but received no response when he called out.

Police were informed, and the body was discovered in the basement during the search. The crime scene, marked with white chalk, showed bloodstains amid construction debris. A post-mortem examination and forensic evidence collection have been conducted.

At the cremation, the girl's mother was heard mourning, saying her daughter was her only girl and now she is gone.