After a failed rape bid, neighbour strangles student in Meerut; held

A 16-year girl student was strangled to death inside her house by a neighbour in Batnaur village of Falawada police station of Meerut on Sunday.

Police said the accused Rohit, 21, made an unsuccessful attempt to rape the victim, a class VIII student, before strangling her.

The accused locked himself with the victim’s body but he was eventually caught, thrashed and handed over to the police by the villagers.

“We were trying to verify the victim’s age. Her family said that she was a minor and if it is confirmed then the accused would be booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act,” said Varun Sharma, the station house officer (SHO) of Falawada police station.

Police said the victim was alone with her younger brother when the accused who hails from Modinagar area in Ghaziabad and was staying in Batnaur village with his relatives, barged in.

The victim’s cries alerted the villagers who arrived and broke upon the room where the accused was present. On entering the room, they found that the student had been strangled to death.

The accused was thrashed and handed over to the police.

“Rohit tried to mislead the police by claiming that he was in relationship with the victim. However, villagers rejected her claims and informed us that he had passed lewd remarks on the victim about 15 days back.