4-yr-old killed: Mumbai cops seek to prosecute 2 minor accused as adults

The J J Marg police will approach the special juvenile justice board to get permission to prosecute two minors, aged 17 years and 16 years, booked for kidnapping and murdering a four- year-old girl. The police will seek permission to try the two as adults before the regular sessions court. DCP Manoj Kumar Sharma said, “We will file an application on the basis of the new Juvenile Justice Act amended last year.”

The act was amended last year to enable trying a minor aged 16 and 18 years as an adult in a regular trial for heinous offences such as rape and murder. The police said  the two minors took the girl to the 17-year-old’s house and used chloroform to keep her quiet. The girl’s nose began bleeding when the accused panicked and strangulated her with a mobile charger wire, the police said.

The police said the 17-year-old accused had stolen the chloroform from his south Mumbai-based college laboratory for the crime.

An officer from JJ Marg police station, “The two accused have been planning the crime for the past one month. So accordingly, the 17-year-old stole chloroform from the college laboratory two weeks ago and kept it at his residence.”

The 17-year-old’s accomplice was involved in making ransom calls and also helped him destroy evidence by throwing the girl’s body on the terrace opposite her house, the police said.

The police said they are checking the 17-year-old’s background for a criminal record.

 “We have learnt the accused has taken lots of money on loan from others and this could be a reason for him to plan the kidnapping,” said an officer.

The first call was made on Friday and the duo demanded Rs1 crore initially, but later negotiated it to Rs28 lakh. The parents then informed the police and on the basis of the call data record, the 17-year-old was caught from his residence, followed by the 16-year-old, who was picked up on the basis of the first accused’s statement.

The juvenile justice board has remanded the two minors in remand custody until January 2.

Read: Mumbai Police arrest two teenagers for kidnap and murder of toddler

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