A 31-year-old man has been arrested for sexually assaulting and killing his two-and-a-half year old niece in Attibele on Thursday. The incident occurred on March 20. The child’s parents work in another town on the outskirts of the city. They used to send the toddler to her aunt’s house in Attibele.
On Sunday, the accused, who works as a driver, took the toddler along to buy chicken. A little later, he rushed her to the hospital claiming she had been injured in a freak accident. The child was declared “brought dead” at the hospital. While her parents were in shock, the accused claimed the child was sitting in the front seat of his car next to him. He claimed that when he hit the brakes suddenly to avoid hitting a two-wheeler, she was thrown into the air and smashed against the windshield. He told the police she lost consciousness soon after.
A senior police official from Attibele police station said the uncle’s version of events was not convincing. The police were suspicious as the girl did not have any visible injuries on her head. “We waited for the autopsy report, which said the girl was sexually abused and may have died of a physical assault. We immediately took the accused into custody and he confessed,” the official said. He was arrested on Thursday.
The accused reportedly confessed to have sexually assaulted the toddler in the car. In his confession, he said that when she screamed and cried, he slapped her repeatedly, following which she fell unconscious. Panicked, he took her to a hospital, where doctors declared her brought dead. The accused has been booked under POCSO Act, 2012, and for murder.
