The Surat Police on Tuesday said that a man from Andhra Pradesh has claimed that the minor girl who was raped and tortured before being killed was his daughter, The Times of India reported. The police said a DNA test would be conducted to verify the man’s claims.
“He has brought the Aadhaar card of his daughter,” Surat Police Commissioner Satish Sharma told reporters, according to PTI. “We will verify whether he had lodged a missing complaint of his daughter with the local police station in Andhra Pradesh. At present, we are working on his claims. Only after we get the DNA test reports, it would be confirmed.”
The state Commission for Women on Wednesday sought a status report from the Surat Police, which had earlier announced a Rs 20,000 reward for information to help identify the girl. Besides circulating the message and a photograph of the child on social media, they have also put up 1,200 posters.
The autopsy report suggested the girl was raped and tortured over eight days before being strangled to death. Her body was found at a cricket ground in Surat’s Bhestan locality last week with 86 injuries.
The case comes days after people across the country protested after the police chargesheet in the the rape-and-murder case of an eight-year-old child in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua revealed that she had been was drugged, gang-raped, starved, and murdered in January.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!