Vasai murder scandal: ‘Killer boy was always high’

The father of the alleged murderer, who suggested burying the body in the house next door; (right) The deceased, whose body was found on December 4. Pics/Hanif Patel

A 15-year-old boy, who was on the run after allegedly killing an eight-year-old girl in Vasai, was detained by Crime Branch sleuths of the Mira Bhayandar Vasai Virar (MBVV) police in Jalna district late on Tuesday evening. The cops believe that the accused had kept the corpse hidden for two days inside his rented house.

The police also believe he may have attempted to sexually abuse the child's corpse. After the highly decomposed body was recovered, the cops sent it to JJ Hospital for post-mortem. The autopsy report is inconclusive and it explains only the injuries and contusions all over her body. However, the viscera has been preserved for further examination.

The deceased, whose body was found on December 4; The father of the alleged murderer being taken out of the detection office at Pelhar police station. Pics/Hanif Patel

The accused's father has already been placed under arrest by the Pelhar police for helping his son dispose of the body. He was produced before the Vasai court on Wednesday as the police sought his custody in connection with the investigation. The teen was being brought to Vasai from Jalna on Wednesday.

‘Attempted to abuse corpse'

During prima facie interrogation of the teen, the cops learnt that the accused had dragged the child inside his residence, room no. 4 of a row house, on December 1 when his parents and sister were away and stuffed a piece of cloth into her mouth with a clear intent to sexually abuse her.

The rowhouse in Vasai where the brutal crime took place

"The accused told us that he had kept an eye on the girl, who lived in his neighbourhood. Taking advantage of their isolation, he dragged her inside his room. When the girl started to shout for help, the boy stuffed a piece of cloth into her mouth and then attempted to sexually abuse her. Later, he strangled her using his hands," said an officer privy to the investigation.

"The accused has further told our team that even after the death of the girl, he attempted to sexually abuse her," said a crime branch officer. The minor was killed on the same day she went missing, December 1. But the accused did not tell anyone. "He got scared and planned to dispose of the body. The teen stuffed the body in a nylon after tying the legs with a yellow belt," said an officer.

In a bid to avoid suspicion, the teen had joined in the search operation with the family of the child. "But, in fact, he had been trying to gauge the threat against him and learning if anyone had doubts about him, or if anyone had seen him dragging the girl inside his room," said the police officer.

Hid body for two days

The alleged necrophiliac had kept the body for two days inside the same room where he lived with his parents and sister. "On the intervening night of December 3 and December 4, the teen's father noticed that his son would often get up to open the sack. The shocked father then found out about his son's alleged deed," said an officer at Pelhar police station.

"Instead of informing the police, the boy and his father decided to dispose of the body in the wee hours of December 4. Since room no. 5 was empty and its gate was unlocked, the father decided to bury the body there. Early on December 4, the duo lifted the corpse and tried to dig a hole in room no. 5 to bury the corpse. However, they abandoned their task mid-way and returned to their room. The father then suggested going to Jalna," said the police officer.

The teen then hurriedly fled to Jalna, leaving behind the body, which had already started to degenerate and emanate a foul smell. Relatives and other family members, who had gathered near room no. 6 where the deceased's brother lives, tried to open room no. 5. "The killer's mother initially tried to prevent us from entering it. But somehow, we opened it and found the body of my sister stuffed inside a nylon sack. We alerted the Pelhar police where we had already registered a missing-cum-kidnapping case on December 1," said the brother of the deceased.

"When the cops asked us if we had doubts about anyone, we mentioned that the killer's mother had been preventing us from entering room no. 5, saying nobody was inside. Though we had already checked the room on three consecutive days from December 1, we found the decomposed body of my sister on December 4," the brother said.

Fake story concocted

When the girl's relatives were desperately searching for her, the alleged murderer had fabricated a story that a burqa-clad woman had taken the girl away, according to the brother. The Pelhar police detained the teen's parents on December 4. "Though the father had been trying to conceal the truth, after sustained questioning, he spilt the beans on December 5 and we placed him under arrest," said Vasant Labde, senior inspector of Pelhar police station. After confirming the role of the absconding teenager, crime branch sleuths activated their human intelligence network and circulated his photographs.

"The killer was on the way to Jalna to hide at his maternal aunt's house. He got down at a dhaba at Sevali village to have a meal on the evening of December 5, when a source alerted us. After matching his identity, we managed to keep him detained near the dhaba. Our team reached the spot and is bringing him back to Vasai for further interrogation," said a senior crime branch officer.

‘He would often be high'

The school teacher of the alleged killer, who is a Std IX student, told mid-day, "This boy would always miss classes. In the past 110 days, he attended school only for 24 days. He was always found sleeping inside the classroom and would sniff some liquid to get high. We had warned him not to bring in any such stuff inside a classroom. He never interacted with his classmates. Though we had tried to make him understand, his behaviour never changed."

"A few police officers had also visited our school and were enquiring about the student. We also checked with other students about him and learnt that he would always take some drugs in a secluded place in Vasai. We have given a bona fide certificate of the student to the police," the
teacher added.

December 1
Day minor was killed

Dec 5
Day alleged killer was detained