Bengaluru: Man arrested for kidnap & murder of minor; faces sex abuse charges

Bengaluru: The Whitefield police have invoked the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act against a man who was arrested for kidnapping and murdering a six-year-old girl.

Police sources said the Act was invoked based on evidence recovered during the ongoing investigation. "A detailed FSL report is awaited," a source told DH.

The body of the girl, who went missing on January 5, was found the next night in a dry canal in Pattandur Agrahara, Whitefield, where she stayed with her family of migrant workers from West Bengal.

Police subsequently arrested Yusuf Meer, in his mid-30s, who was also a migrant worker and the girl's neighbour. The suspect was nabbed in Odisha.

Police had initially ruled out sexual assault based on a prima facie investigation. They suspect a dispute between the two families as the motive for the offence.