A two-and-a-half-year-old girl, who went missing from near her home in Pune, was found dead on 22 October. Maharashtra police feared that she may have been abducted and strangulated.
The toddler went missing from near her house close to a farm off Sinhgad Road late on 21 October following which her parents, who are daily wage labourers working for a vegetable trader, approached the police.
She was found dead early Sunday morning about 500 metres from her house, a police official said.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Inspector Baban Khodade said, “The primary probe suggests that the girl was kidnapped from her house when all her family members were asleep. The suspect or suspects managed to open the main door after opening a sliding window, entered the house and fled with the child.
Prima facie, it seems that the girl was strangulated as there are marks on her neck. Some residents living in the vicinity of the farm spotted the body this morning. A case of kidnapping was registered immediately. This morning, the girl was found dead near the farm behind a housing society off Sinhgad Road.Police Officer
Quoting a police officer, The Indian Express reported that initial reports of autopsy indicate sexual assault and strangulation.
An FIR has been registered at Sinhagad Road police station under charges of kidnapping, rape, murder and sections of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
“We have registered a case on charges of kidnapping and murder. An investigation into the case is underway,” Pawar said.
(With inputs from ANI and PTI.)s
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