On 9-Year-Old's Rape-Murder, Delhi Women's Body Seeks Police Report

Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) has taken suo moto cognisance in the case of kidnapping and alleged rape and murder of a nine-year-old girl who had been missing since December 12 from Swaroop Nagar.

In a letter dated December 19, Delhi Commission for Women Chairperson Swati Maliwal said, "The Delhi Commission for Women has taken suo-moto cognizance of media reports stating that a 9-year-old girl was missing since December 12 from Swaroop Nagar. It has been reported that the family's landlord allegedly abducted, raped and killed the minor girl. It has been stated that the accused later dumped her body in the Munak canal. This is a very serious matter."

DCW Chairperson further demanded a copy of FIR registered in the matter.

"Details of the accused arrested in the matter. If no accused has been arrested, please provide reasons for the same. Whether the body of the girl has been recovered. If no, please provide reasons for the same. Detailed Action Taken Report in the matter," the chairperson demanded in the letter.

She further added considering the gravity of the matter, please provide the sought information to the Commission by December 22, 2023.

The police on Tuesday said that a 52-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly kidnapping, raping and killing the minor.

The accused, identified as Sanjeev Rana, later dumped her body in the Munak canal. A team of divers has been brought in to trace the girl's body, police said.

According to officials, the police received information about the kidnapping of the girl on December 12, based on which a case was registered. While the search for the missing girl was ongoing, the accused met with an accident and was admitted to a hospital in Rohini area on December 15. His statement, however, could not be recorded as doctors at the hospital declared him unfit.

The police, during the investigation, found out that the girl sat in the accused's vehicle on a nearby street on the day she went missing.

On December 17, the statement of the accused was recorded by the police after he was declared fit.

During this, he confessed to kidnapping the girl and killing her. In his initial confession, he revealed that he dumped the girl's body in Munak canal, DCP Outer North Ravi Kumar Singh said.

Since December 17, five divers have been deployed to search for the girl's body in the canal and a separate team has been formed to check the accused's travel route on the day of the kidnapping. A team of divers from Khajuri is being brought in and the search for the girl's body is on, DCP said.

The accused has been arrested for the kidnapping, rape, and murder of the minor girl, he added.

Police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the POCSO Act against him.

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