Girl subjected to torture, murdered where she was found: Police

Kochi: The five-year-old girl killed in Aluva was physically assaulted before her death, shows preliminary inquest examination. Injuries, including those on her private parts, were identified in the process. Furthermore, it is understood that she was hit on the head with a stone. Police have recorded the arrest of Ashfaq Aslam from Bihar on the incident.

According to police, the victim, a class one student and the daughter of a Bihar couple living on rent in Aluva, was abducted by Ashfaq on Friday at 3 pm. The accused took the child to the local market. When some people questioned him, he deceived them by claiming the child was his. He led her to a secluded area behind the market, where he tortured and killed her. He covered her body with plastic sheets and rocks.

The reason for her death and whether she was subjected to sexual assault will be known when the postmortem report comes.

The child went missing on Friday evening. During the investigation, police found that she was last seen with Ashfaq. The accused was taken into police custody, but his initial statement was incoherent due to intoxication. He claimed to have handed the child over to someone else, leading to the detainment of his friend as well. However, an investigation found this statement to be false, and the accused later confessed to the crime, police said.

The body was recovered on Saturday morning by locals.

A special police team, led by the DySP, is investigating the case to ascertain whether others were involved in the incident.

The child, the daughter of a Bihar migrant couple, residing in a rented apartment in Choornikkara panchayat, was a standard one student at Thaikkattukara UP school.

Ashfaq reportedly started living near the girl's house two days ago.