The Delhi Police have arrested a 23-year-old for allegedly killing a 13-year-old girl during a robbery attempt in southwest Delhi’s Dwarka, police said on Saturday. The girl was found dead at her residence on Friday.
The accused, 23-year-old Anas, was arrested late on Friday night, just hours after the girl’s body was discovered in a locked room on the terrace of their three-story building.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) Ankit Singh, Anas was familiar with the family and broke into the house intending to steal. When the girl noticed him and raised an alarm, Anas panicked and strangled her to death to avoid being caught. He then fled the scene with a mobile phone and a tablet belonging to the family.
Police investigations revealed that Anas planned the robbery to raise money for drugs. Technical surveillance on the stolen mobile phone led authorities to a new user who admitted to purchasing it from Anas. The tablet was also recovered from this individual.
Further background checks showed that Anas had been released on bail in March after being involved in a previous snatching case and had multiple such cases against him.
The victim was a class eight student, and her family had recently moved into the rented accommodation about six weeks prior. At the time of the incident on Thursday, the girl was home alone. Her mother discovered the body upon returning from work.
Initial medical examinations found no evidence of sexual assault.
The police have registered a murder case and are continuing their investigation into the incident.