Minor raped, killed by her friend’s father

A 14-year-old was found raped and murdered in a bathroom of a house at Paras Colony in Jalandhar last night. The incident led to outrage among local residents.

The crime was committed allegedly by a 45-year-old man, who was the little girl’s next-door neighbour and the father of her friend. The accused was arrested by the police. The girl had gone to play with the man’s daughter, unaware that she wasn’t at home, when the incident took place last evening.

An FIR was registered against accused Harminder Singh, alias Rimpy (45), under various sections of the BNS and the POCSO Act at the Basti Bawa Khel police station in here.

Residents have raised questions on the role of the police in the entire incident. After the complaint of the girl’s parents, police officials from the local chowki searched the home of the alleged culprit, but returned without finding the body despite residents’ reminders that the body was suspected to be in the house. The body was later retrieved from the same house.

The police said the accused was a school bus driver and father of two daughters. His wife was away to visit relatives in Ludhiana on Saturday.

The Basti Bawa Khel police reached the colony late night among angry protests and shielded and arrested the accused, who was being roughed up by irate locals.

ASI suspended

The Jalandhar police have suspended ASI Mangat Ram of the Leather Complex police chowki for dereliction of duty. He was in-charge of the team that made the first visit to the victim’s house.