Surat: The city police have apprehended two individuals for abducting, gang-raping, and murdering an 11-year-old girl who went missing last week.

The girl disappeared on March 18 while playing outside her home, prompting her family to search for her and subsequently file a missing person report. Fifteen teams, along with a dog, were deployed, and 600 houses were searched during the investigation. However, on March 23, a farmer found a body in his field and notified the police. The body was identified as that of the missing 11-year-old girl.

The two suspects, identified as Dipak alias Sivdarshan Kori (23), originally from Uttar Pradesh, and Anuj alias Suman Paswan (23), hailing from Jharkhand, were apprehended.

It is learnt that Dipak’s phone records placed him at the crime scene, and during interrogation, he confessed to his involvement, along with his accomplice Anuj, in the abduction, rape, and subsequent strangulation of the victim.

Both accused have lived in Surat for over four years, working in various textile factories. They have been charged under sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) related to murder, rape, destruction of evidence, as well as provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Both accused have been remanded to police custody until April 1.

The post-mortem examination revealed that the girl died approximately five to six days before her body was discovered. The report confirmed sexual assault and death by strangulation. DeshGujarat