Lonavala turned tense on Wednesday after a seven-year-old girl was found dead with her throat slit on the terrace of a hotel. The local people went on the rampage and vandalised the hotel.
The girl went missing during a wedding reception at the hotel on Sunday night, and the body was found on Tuesday. A medical examination found that she had been sexually assaulted.
The Pune rural police said the body was found under the panels of a solar water heater.
“We registered a kidnap case and began investigation as soon as the girl’s parents informed us of her disappearance on Sunday night. During the reception, the girl’s father gave her food and was talking to other guests. When he returned to the place, she was missing,” said Manoj Lohiya, Superintendent of Police (Pune Rural).
The police said the hotel’s CCTV cameras were not functioning and this was holding up the investigation.
The girl’s family alleged that the culprit should be a member of the hotel staff. It alleged tardy investigation.
The police resorted to a mild lathi charge to disperse a mob that gathered at the hotel.
