Juvenile sexually assaulted minor girl before strangulating her: Gurugram police

Gurugram, Jul 5 (PTI) A 16-year-old boy, who was detained for allegedly strangulating a minor girl and trying to burn her body, during his protective custody revealed that he sexually assaulted the girl before killing her, police here said on Friday.

After the juveline’s confession, the Gurugram police added charges of sexual assault to the case against him, they added.

On Monday, the juvenile was apprehended after he was caught inside the girl’s house by her mother and some neighbours. They found the half-burnt body of the nine-year-old girl and the boy sitting in a corner, the police said.

The incident happened at a residential complex in Gurugram’s Sector 107. The families of the victim and the juvenile stay in two separate towers inside the complex, they said.

According to the police, the girl’s mother was at the juvenile’s house when at around 11 am he went to the victim’s house to steal cash and jewellery. He was caught by the girl when he was carrying out the theft.

The juvenile strangulated the girl and tried to burn her body using camphor from the temple in the house, they said.

The teen initially claimed that two thieves had entered the house and killed the girl but later confessed to the murder.

After his two-day protective custody, he was sent to a correction home after being produced before the juvenile justice board (JJB), police said.

"He tried to mislead the police by changing his statement but finally revealed the truth. He confessed that he sexually assaulted the girl and then strangled her. After this, he stole jewellery and then set her on fire using camphor," ACP (Udyog) Naveen Kumar said.

He added that the juvenile accepted that he is fond of online games and lost over Rs 20,000 on an app.

"He had borrowed Rs 20,000 from his two friends and promised to repay the amount on July 1. Due to this,  he had stolen the jewellery from the house of the victim. We have recovered the laptop and mobile of the boy,” Kumar added.  A senior police officer said that section 8 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act has been added to the case. PTI COR NB