Pilibhit Murder: Dad, Grandfather, 3 Uncles Killed 9-Year-Old Girl To Implicate Rival, Says Report

“The child was first given sedatives and hidden under a heap of paddy straw. The men then went back home and pretended that the girl had mysteriously gone missing," said SP Dinesh Kumar Prabhu.

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The Uttar Pradesh police on Monday said it had solved the brutal murder case in which a nine-year-old girl was found mutilated in a wheat field in Pilibhit. Superintendent of Police Dinesh Kumar Prabhu revealed that the deceased was killed by her own father, three uncles and grandfather with the intention of implicating their rival, Shaqil Vaistava, in the murder case, reported the Times of India. The girl was allegedly given sleeping pills before the cold-blooded murder was executed, the police added, as per the report.

The Class 3 student was found dead on December 3 with her abdomen cut open and visceral organs coming out, the police said, as reported news agency IANS. The girl's father, Anis Ahmad, said she had gone with her uncle, Shadab Ahmad to attend a religious function in a nearby village, Sarainda Patti on Friday night.

Reason Behind Murder

The reason behind the murder is said to be an old family enmity. "The girl’s father, Anis Ahmad from Madhopur village, had an old enmity with Shaqil dating back to 2018 when the former’s younger brother Shadab Ahmad had eloped with the latter’s sister and subsequently married her against the family’s will," the SP said, as per the Time of India report.

At that time, an FIR was also lodged against Shadab under IPC section 376 (rape) and the matter is still pending in court, SP Dinesh Kumar Prabhu added

The family members came under suspicion after eyewitnesses at Sarainda Patti village revealed that the girl was never missing as she was taken by Shadab, his brothers and their father. "Suspecting foul play, the five accused were taken into custody and they confessed to the gruesome murder during interrogation. We have recovered the murder weapon, brick and wrapper of sedative pills from the spot," Prabhu said, according to the media house.

Sharing the details of the murder, the SP said Shadab had taken the child to a nearby village, Sarainda Patti, on the pretext of attending a religious function. Thereafter, he took her to a nearby orchard where he was joined by Anis, his two younger brothers -- Naseem and Saleem -- and their father Shahzade. “The child was first given sedatives and hidden under a heap of paddy straw. The men then went back home and pretended that the girl had mysteriously gone missing," he added.

They even pretend to search for her at night. "All five men again went to the spot, smashed her head with a brick and stabbed her with a knife. All the accused fled the spot after mutilating the girl and dumping her, trying to create the impression that someone had cruelly killed her," the police officer added. 

The accused men later claimed to have found the missing girl. "However, much to their surprise, the girl was still breathing so they wasted about half an hour questioning her as to who stabbed her instead of rushing her to a nearby medical facility, which led to her death. She was obviously incoherent and in agony. So she could not name anyone. The video the accused took of the questioning was a ruse."

SHO (Amaria), Mukesh Shukla, said, "An FIR has been lodged against the girl’s father, three uncles and grandfather under IPC sections 302 (murder), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to screen offender). The culprits have been sent to jail."