A seven-year-old girl was allegedly raped and then strangulated to death by her neighbour in outer Delhi's Narela, police said on Monday.
The incident took place on June 14. After offering 'frooti', the 28-year-old accused took the girl to a sewage plant at a park in Tikri Khurd where he strangulated the minor girl with bare hands after raping her.
The accused was arrested on Sunday, police said.
According to the police, the minor girl was reported missing on June 15. The next day, the body of the girl was found at an abandoned water sewage plant in Swarn Jayanti Vihar in outer Delhi's Narela.
The post-mortem report confirmed that the girl was raped and then strangulated to death, police said.
"Investigation revealed the involvement of the neighbour in connection with the incident following which he was apprehended," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer North) Gaurav Sharma.
During interrogation, the accused told the police that his wife was not home since a couple of days.
He was under the influence of alcohol. When he spotted the girl, he offered her 'frooti' and took her to a water sewage plant and raped her, the officer said.
The families of the seven-old old girl and accused have known to each other since long as both the families shifted from Shahadra (where they were neighbours) to Swarn Jayanti Vihar, the officer added.
The minor girl often spoke to accused and called him Mama. The accused also used to give her toffees and eatables.
The father of the girl was in an illicit relationship with the sister of accused and both were caught red-handed earlier, the DCP said.
The accused is a driver by profession but since the last few months, he was working at a pickle manufacturing factory where he used to cut mangoes. The father of the deceased sells spices at Seelampur, police said.
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