13-Year-Old Girl Gang-Raped, Killed; Body Found Along Haridwar Highway

A 13-year-old girl who went missing three days ago was found dead along a highway here with her mother alleging she was gang-raped by a local BJP worker and his accomplice before being murdered, police said on Wednesday.

The body was found along the highway in the Bahadrabad area near the Patanjali research Centre here on Tuesday morning, they added.

The main accused, Adityaraj Saini, was a member of the local BJP OBC Morcha. The party expelled him from his primary membership on Tuesday, according to a letter issued by state BJP general secretary Aditya Kothari.

The girl's mother claimed Adityaraj, who is the husband of a village head, was in a relationship with her daughter who suddenly went missing on Sunday evening.

When she called her on her mobile phone, it was received by Adityaraj who said the girl was with him. The phone got switched off after that, the victim's mother said in her complaint.

After the teenager did not return home until next day morning, the woman went to the man's house, where the accused accomplice Amit Saini also resides, but could not find her.

When she told him she would take the matter to police, Adityaraj pressured her not to do so and threatened to kill her if she did.

The girl's mother, however, approached the police and lodged a missing complaint on Monday.

After the body was found on Tuesday, the woman alleged her daughter was gang-raped and killed by Adityaraj and Amit.

Based on her complaint, the duo have been booked for gang rape and murder under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, SP Pramendra Dobhal said.

Mr Dobhal said the matter is serious and five police teams have been formed to probe it.

Adityaraj had sought a party ticket in the last assembly polls.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)