Mumbai SHOCKER: 10-year-old raped, brutally murdered at Thane highrise; Rapist lured her with toys

Mumbai: Mumbra police apprehended a 20-year-old unemployed man in connection with the rape and murder of a 10-year-old girl that occurred on Monday.
Authorities reported that the girl’s body was found around 11 pm on Monday (April 7) inside a duct of a 10-storey building. At first, officials believed she might have accidentally fallen into the shaft, leading to the involvement of the Regional Disaster Management Cell (RDMC). 

However, upon deeper examination, investigators discovered indications of a struggle and a serious injury to the child’s neck, suggesting foul play. A postmortem report later confirmed she had been sexually assaulted before being murdered.

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"The accused lured the victim, who was playing with two of her friends, under the pretext of offering her toys and took her to his apartment around 9pm on Monday," said Anil Shinde, senior inspector of Mumbra police station as quoted by the Times of India.

"While sexually assaulting her, he gagged her mouth and she passed out. To confirm if she was dead, he used a kitchen knife and stabbed her in her neck, then disposed of her body by throwing it into the building's duct from an open window on the sixth floor."

According to police, several residents recalled hearing a loud noise on Monday night. When they went to investigate using flashlights, they found the girl's body inside the building’s duct.

A major breakthrough in the case came from the statements of two children who had been playing with the victim earlier. "When the suspect was presented to these young witnesses, they instantly recognized him as the person who took the girl away," said Shinde. "Their identification was key in linking the accused to the crime scene, particularly to a broken window that opened into the duct."

According to official police reports, authorities carried out a detailed examination of the building's duct system and collected statements from residents and eyewitnesses. The accused, a native of Sultanpur in Bihar, was subsequently arrested and taken into custody.

A senior police officer stated that forensic findings led to the discovery of bloodstained clothes at the suspect’s home, aligning with the timeline of the crime. The post-mortem confirmed that the girl died from hemorrhage and shock caused by a stab wound to the neck, which damaged vital structures, and also confirmed evidence of sexual assault.

The child lived with her mother and brother under difficult financial conditions after the death of her father. Police said the accused, who is currently unemployed, does not have any previous criminal record.