Hyderabad: A man wanted in the case of rape and murder of a six-year old girl here allegedly committed suicide with his body being found on a railway track in Jangaon district Thursday morning, police said.
The incident happened two days after Telangana Labour Minister Ch Malla Reddy had said that the accused in the case would be caught and that there should be an “encounter” against him.
“It (the incident) is terrible. There should be an incident against him (accused). He will definitely be caught. (We) will do encounter. There is no question of leaving him, Malla Reddy had told reporters Tuesday.
The girl was allegedly raped and murdered in a neighbouring house at Saidabad here on the evening of September 9.
Based on preliminary investigation, the accused P Raju, aged around 30, was found walking on the track by gangmen, who asked him to move aside from the track, but he did not and was hit by a passenger train at around 8.45 AM, a senior police official said.
“This looks to be a clear case of suicide as of now,” Warangal Police Commissioner Tarun Joshi said.
Police after being informed, reached the spot and after verification established the identity of the deceased, based on the tattoos on his hands and some other marks to be that of the accused wanted in the case of rape and murder of the minor girl, the Commissioner said.
The family members have also identified the body, he said.
The body would be shifted to MGM government hospital in Warangal and after inquest and post-mortem, the body would be handed over to the family members, the senior official said.
Further investigation would continue, he added.
Earlier, Telangana Director General of Police (DGP) M Mahendar Reddy tweeted: “The accused of “Child Sexual Molestation and murder @ Singareni Colony, found dead on the railway track, in the limits of #StationGhanpurPoliceStation. Declared after the verification of identification marks on deceased body.”
Telangana IT Minister KT Rama Rao also tweeted: “Just been informed by @TelanganaDGP Garu that the beast who raped the child has been traced & found dead on a railway track at station Ghanpur.”
The incident last week triggered protests by residents of the locality who had raised slogans and demanded justice and quick arrest of the culprit.
Police had intensified search operations after forming several teams to nab the accused even as Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar Tuesday declared a reward of Rs 10 lakh to any person who gave information/ clue leading to arrest of the absconding accused.
Police earlier said the accused was used to taking alcohol and sleeping at pavements and bus stands.
Thursday, Telangana Ministers Mohammed Mahmood Ali and Satyavathi Rathod met the parents of the six-year old girl and offered them a cheque for Rs 20 lakh as ex-gratia.
The ministers also assured support and help from the state government and stringent action against the culprit as per law and justice rendered as expeditiously possible, an official release said.
PTI
