JOIN USA day after 22-year-old Manoj Kumar, who abducted and brutally raped a five-year-old girl living in his neighbourhood, was arrested from Bihar and brought to the national capital. Police have found the involvement of another accused in the barbaric act.
Manoj Kumar, who hails from Muzaffarpur in Bihar and was nabbed from his in-law’s house in Chirota Village in Muzaffarpur on Saturday, was brought to national capital same evening.
He told police that he and a colleague-cum-friend bought alcohol on April 15 morning and consumed the same.
During late afternoon, his friend in an inebriated condition asked Kumar to “arrange a call girl for fun”. After a few minutes, both of them saw the five-year-old girl playing outside their room and targeted her. They bought a pack of chocolates and used it to lure the victim to their room, said a source quoting Kumar.
When the victim entered their room, they took turns to sexually assault her. After the act, they got scared of being identified and hence tried to strangle her.
When they realised that she had died, both of them left for their possible hideouts. Kumar rushed to the railway station to catch a train for his native place in Bihar, while his friend too went into hiding, said a source, adding that the other accused hails from Loni in Ghaziabad. Investigators said that raids are being conducted at various places to arrest the second suspect in the case.
A senior official said that Manoj’s statement has to be verified and it can be done only after the second accused has been arrested.
Kumar, who was granted 72 hour transit remand by a Bihar court, was produced before duty magistrate Sanjay Kumar here, a day before expiry of his transit remand. He has been sent to police custody for 14 days.
Delhi Police officials said they decided to produce him a day before as the delay would have vitiated the Test Identification Parade (TIP) proceedings.
“In the fairness of investigation, we decided to produce the accused in a court today itself to facilitate a test identification parade,” a senior police official said. “Kumar has agreed for a test identification parade,” sources in the police said.
Delhi Police had initially decided to produce Kumar before a regular court on Monday and had even issued a statement in this regard.
Sources said the decision was changed later in the day as investigators felt that the delay in production of the accused may go in his favour while pressing for a TIP.