Maharashtra: Out To Buy Ice Cream, 8-Yr-Old Found Dead in Bag 3 Days Later; Probe On To Confirm Sexual Assault

Eight-year-old Meera (name changed) was craving to eat ice cream on Friday, December 1. She took Rs 5 from her father and went out of her house in the Vasai area in Maharastra’s Palghar to buy an ice cream, but she never came back.

Three days after she went missing, the decomposed body of the class 3 student of a Zilla parishad school was found in a locked, vacant room in the vicinity of her home, according to a report by Times of India.

Maharastra police have registered a case of murder against an unidentified person(s) in connection with the case.

According to police, Meera returned to her home in Vanyacha Pada locality in Vasai (east) from her school around 5 pm on Friday. She changed her clothes, took money for ice cream from her father, and went out to play. Her mother and brother were away in their village at the time.

When Meera did not return until after sundown, the father launched a search for her and approached the police. A case of kidnapping was registered at Pelhar police station and a search operation was launched, but because there were no CCTV cameras in the locality, tracking the girl’s position was proving to be difficult.

Her family even printed pamphlets and circulated them in the area. They reportedly also offered a reward of R 20,000 to help find Meera.

While the search was on for Meera, police on Monday morning received a call regarding a foul smell coming from room number 5 in a nearby chawl.

The police reached the place, broke open the door and found Meera’s decomposed body there, the TOI report said.

The police said her legs were tied with a belt and the body was stuffed in a nylon sack.

Family members and nearby residents told the police that they were not aware if anybody stayed in the room as it was mostly locked. The owner of the room has been called for questioning.

Police suspect that someone had kept a watch on the girl and forcibly taken her to the room.

Her body has been sent for autopsy, and after the report comes, it will be ascertained if there was any sexual abuse.