UP rape-murder case: Class 1 girl's body in sack; crime scene recreation ends in accused's killing

A 32-year-old man accused of abducting and murdering a six-year-old girl in Uttar Pradesh’s Greater Noida was killed in a police encounter on Saturday while police were recreating the crime sequence, officials said.

The girl went missing from Haldoni village in Ecotech-3 on Friday, August 28. Police recovered her body stuffed in a sack from bushes near a pond the following morning.

The girl, a Class 1 student, was reportedly playing outside her home when the accused, identified as Balraj, allegedly approached her and took her towards a nearby house. CCTV footage from the area showed the girl following him.

Later footage allegedly showed the man leaving the house carrying a sack. Police said the footage, along with other evidence, helped identify and detain him.

The accused was known to the family and was living as a tenant at the house of the girl's uncle, police said. Villagers reportedly caught him and handed him over to police after finding him at his house.

During questioning, he allegedly told police where he had dumped the girl's body. Police later recovered it and began collecting forensic evidence. A post-mortem examination was conducted by a panel of doctors and videographed. Police said whether the child was sexually assaulted would be established through medical and forensic reports.

Police say accused opened fire

Police said the accused also disclosed where he had hidden the knife allegedly used in the murder. He was taken to an area near the D-Park police post on Saturday to recover it.

According to police, the accused led officers towards bushes, retrieved the knife and then picked up a pistol he had allegedly concealed there. He allegedly opened fire at the police team while trying to escape.

Head constable Ravi Kumar was injured in the firing. Police said officers retaliated in self-defence and shot the accused. Both were taken to hospital, where doctors declared the accused dead during treatment. Police said an illegal pistol, three empty cartridges and two live rounds were recovered.

Protests after girl's body reaches village

The girl's body was brought back to the village on Saturday evening, prompting residents and family members to protest on the main road and demand strict action.

Police and Provincial Armed Constabulary personnel were deployed as the protest caused a traffic disruption. The protesters later cleared the road after discussions with officials and assurances of strict legal action.

A case has been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and relevant provisions of the POCSO Act. Police said CCTV footage, forensic evidence and the post-mortem report will be examined to establish the full sequence of events. The possible involvement of another person is also being verified.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday condemned the alleged rape and murder and questioned the law-and-order situation in Uttar Pradesh.

In a post on X, SP Chief said, "The case of the rape and murder of a 6-year-old innocent girl from the minority community in Greater Noida is spine-chilling. It has instilled fear in the parents of every daughter across the entire state regarding the safety of their little girls. The question is, how has the law and order situation in the state become so lax that criminals no longer fear those in power? The answer to this question lies in the fact that the way crimes by people from the same community in power are being suppressed and concealed is emboldening other criminals as well."

He further alleged that corruption had affected the functioning of the police and accused some officers of colluding with criminals.

"The BJP has expanded the scope of its corruption to such an extent that it has forced the police to become complicit too, and taking advantage of this, some corrupt police officers are colluding with criminals to shelter their sins. Utterly condemnable! Justice must be done!!!" Yadav added.