India

8‑year‑old girl in Bulandshahr found dead after being lured by man offering golgappas

By HT Correspondent

An eight‑year‑old girl in Bulandshahr district, Uttar Pradesh, was reported missing on Friday afternoon. Her family, who live in rented accommodation with the girl's father’s factory, began searching for her after she failed to return home. Police were notified and launched an immediate search operation. The girl’s body was recovered at around 2 a.m. on Saturday from an isolated plot about 500 metres from her home. The body showed injury marks on the head. Authorities say the accused, Ravi Kashyap, lured the child out of her house with the promise of treating her to golgappas, took her to the isolated plot, sexually assaulted her, and then struck her on the head with an iron rod, killing her before fleeing. Additional superintendent of police Abhishek Pratap Ajay said a case under Sections 103(1) (murder) and 238 (causing disappearance of evidence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita has been registered at Sikandrabad police station on the basis of a complaint. The incident occurred within the jurisdiction of the Industrial Area police station, about 30 km from the district headquarters. Ravi Kashyap is a native of Tariyan village under Chhibramau police station in Kannauj district and was employed at the same factory as the girl’s father. Police are questioning his wife and conducting raids at suspected locations to arrest him. The victim’s family, originally from Badaun district, took the body to their native place after the post‑mortem examination for the last rites. Police teams are continuing to trace the accused while further investigation is underway to establish the sequence of events.