Teenage girl strangled to death during robbery bid

A teenage girl was strangled to death by a 23-year-old man during a robbery bid in southwest Delhi’s Dwarka, the police said on Saturday.

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The 13-year-old girl, a Class VIII student, was found dead at her residence on Thursday. The accused, Anas, who entered the house intending to steal valuables to arrange money for drugs, was arrested by the police.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) Ankit Singh said Anas had broken into the house when the girl was alone.

“He knew the family and had entered the residence with the intention of theft. When the girl spotted him and raised an alarm, he panicked and strangled her to avoid getting caught. He then fled with a mobile phone and a tablet,” Singh said.

The girl’s body was discovered in a locked room on the terrace of the three-storey building by her mother after she returned from work.

After getting information, the police registered a case under relevant sections of the law and launched a manhunt to nab the accused.

According to the police, Anas was arrested on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday, following technical surveillance of the stolen mobile phone. The accused had sold the stolen mobile phone to another person who was tracked by the police which led to the arrest of Anas.

Investigations revealed that Anas was previously involved in several snatching cases and was released on bail in March in a similar case.

The girl and her family had moved into the rented accommodation just about a month-and-a-half ago. The police have ruled out sexual assault after an initial examination.