Lakhimpur rape: Accused arrested, admits to assaulting victim after argument
In a new development, Uttar Pradesh Police arrested the main accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri rape and murder case, a day after the mutilated body of the victim was found. The accused, identified by Indian Express as Dilshad, confessed to the horrendous crime. Police said the victim and the accused knew each other for the past few months. Here are more details.
On Monday, the teen victim, said to be 17-18 years of age, left her home to fill a scholarship form in a neighboring town, her relatives told NDTV. When she didn't return until late, the family informed the police. A search operation was launched and on Tuesday, her body was found near a dried-up pond, not more than 200 meter away from her village.
The same night, UP Police confirmed she had been raped. Initially, the police said that she was killed using a sharp object and that she suffered injuries on her neck. Kheri SSP Satendra Kumar expressed confidence in making a breakthrough soon. However, the family didn't point fingers at anyone. Her uncle said, "I really don't know what to say or whom to suspect."
On Wednesday, police nabbed Dilshad, who admitted that he followed the victim on Monday when she had come to a market. He said he tried talking to her but after a heated argument, he raped her and slit her throat. The argument reportedly happened at the same spot from where her body was found. Kumar said a knife has been recovered.
Kumar added, "Apart from the statement of the accused, the conclusion is also based on scientific evidence such as fingerprints, bloodstained clothes and CCTV footage that has confirmed the crime." Meanwhile, another report in News18 said Dilshad was angry on learning that the victim was marrying someone else. He had called her for a meeting and then killed her, the publication claimed.
The rape of the teen is the second such case to be reported from Lakhimpur Kheri district in ten days. On August 15, a 13-year-old girl was raped and murdered in the Isanagar area. Her body was recovered from a sugarcane field. The two accused were arrested and will be charged under the National Security Act (NSA) and other relevant sections, said police.
