Minor gang-raped, killed in Kotdwar

A ten-year-old girl from Nepal was raped and killed allegedly by two Nepalese nationals at Kotdwar in the district sparking tension in the area, police said on Thursday.

The partially mutilated body of the girl, who had been missing since Monday evening, was recovered from railway station premises after the perpetrators were arrested and confessed to the crime on Wednesday, Additional Superintendent of Police Pradip Rai said.

The search for the girl was started on Tuesday morning when the matter was reported to the police by the girl's parents.

The girl was abducted by two men from Nepal, who were aged 28 and 31, when she went to a shop near her house on Monday evening, the official said.

They took the girl to the bushes behind the railway godown and raped her before strangulating her to death and dumping her body in the railway station area after putting it in a bag, he said. The girl's body was partially ravaged by stray animals.

The victim was also from Nepal and was apparently acquainted with the accused.

The accused were arrested from Gadighat area with the help of CCTV footage, he said.

Tension prevails in the area with locals demanding stern punishment for the accused, the official said.