The police have arrested a second person in connection with the rape and murder of a minor girl in Barabanki , Uttar Pradesh, on October 14 and upgraded the charges to gang rape.
On the basis of information gathered from arrested accused Dinesh Gautam, 19, a second accused Rishikesh Singh, 21, was arrested, said Additional SP Barabanki Ram Sewak Gautam.
The two planned and executed the crime, claimed the officer.
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Singh runs a kirana store in the village, said police.
On October 14, Singh had informed Dinesh Gautam that the minor girl had gone to paddy field alone, said the Additional SP.
The police lodged a case under murder and also invoked Section 376 D (gang rape) of the IPC, POCSO Act and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act.
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The body of the minor girl who was raped and killed, was found in a paddy field at Satrikh area in Barabanki district of Uttar Pradesh late on Wednesday.
Police initially registered a murder case but after the post-mortem report confirmed rape, charges under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code were included in the FIR. POCSO Act was included in the FIR after it came to light from the victim’s documents that she was under 18.
The girl had gone out and when she failed to return, her father went in search of her and found the body in a field.
In the police complaint lodged against unknown accused, he said someone had strangulated his daughter.
A family member told a television channel that the girl was naked and her hands and feet were tied.