Man accused of rape, murder of minor girl in Saidabad arrested

The accused, Raju (30), was taken into custody in Addaguduru village in the district and is being brought to Hyderabad for inquiry.

A six-year-old girl was allegedly raped and murdered in the Saidabad police station limits late on Thursday. Tension gripped the area as local residents and youth organizations launched a protest demanding a magistrate-level probe into the incident.

The body of the girl who went missing from her house on Thursday was found in Raju's house in the early hours of Friday. Raju is suspected to have lured the girl by offering her chocolates while she was playing near her house. He reportedly took her to his house, located in the same neighbourhood, where he raped and killed her.

The Saidabad police have booked a case under Sections 376(1) and 302 for rape and murder. Raju was also booked under the POCSO Act 2012.

The girl's body was shifted to the Osmania General Hospital for autopsy.

The incident has triggered outrage among the residents of the colony who staged a protest on the Sagar road for more than seven hours on Friday, prompting Hyderabad district collector L. Sharman to intervene. Mr. Sharman has promised a two-bedroom house and a job for the victim's family. He also handed over a cheque for Rs. 50,000.