Thane: Kalyan cops arrest suspect for rape, murder of 9-year-old

The Mahatma Phule Chowk police in Kalyan have arrested a man who they suspect raped and killed a nine-year-old girl on December 1. The child’s body was found in a Kalyan railway station building.

The suspect identified as Suraj Shankar Singh alias Virendra Shankar Mishra was earlier convicted of child sexual assault & child sex abuse and served 10 years in prison. He was released on bail on November 14.

The police said the victim was sleeping with her parents and two siblings on the footpath near Abha building. After picking her up, he raped her and slit her throat.

Ashok Honmane, a senior police inspector of Mahatma Phule Chowk police station said, "The victim was picked by him while she was sleeping with her parents and two siblings on the footpath in the premises of Abha Building near Kalyan station. The accused  came there and picked up the girl and took her to the back of the building, raped her and after that slit her throat."

"Considering the gravity of the incident, we began investigating the case and detained a suspect; but we had doubts and continued probe and also formed 10 teams for it. We eventually found a suspect and to nab him a thorough search was conducted in Kalyan, Ambivali, Shahad, Ambernath, Badlapur, Titwala, Ulhasnagar, Karjat to CST, Kalyan to Kasara, Kalwa and Mumbra slum, Bhiwandi areas," said Honmane.

He added that the police gathered all information on the suspect but nabbing him was difficult since he had left no trace behind. However, the police eventually got hold of a CCTV footage and based on footage's analysis by CID and an informant, the accused was found.

The police arrested the suspect, a native of Madhya Padesh, from Bhiwandi area in Thane. He was produced in the Kalyan  court and has been  remanded in police custody till December 23. Police said that we are trying to fast track this case.