Uncle accused of rape-murder of minor girl killed in police encounter in Rawalpindi

RAWALPINDI: A maternal uncle accused of raping and murdering his seven-year-old niece, was killed on Tuesday in an alleged police encounter in Rawalpindi, ARY News reported.

The minor girl went missing within the limits of Mundra police station while playing outside her house.

After the missing report, the police swung into action and recovered the body of the missing girl from an under-construction building.

The body of the girl was shifted to the hospital where post-mortem examination report confirmed that she had been raped.

During the investigation, the girl’s maternal uncle, Sunil, was arrested. Police described Sunil as a drug addict who lived near the victim’s home. He confessed to the murder during interrogation.

According to police, Sunil was being taken to the crime scene to recover the murder weapon when his accomplices opened fire on the police in an attempt to free him.

In the ensuing exchange of gunfire, Sunil was struck by bullets fired by his accomplices and died en route to the hospital. The attackers escaped under the cover of darkness.

He was being shifted to the hospital but succumbed to his injuries en route to the hospital.

The police investigation revealed that on Easter Sunday, Sunil lured his niece with the promise of buying candies and took her to an under-construction building. There, he attempted to rape her. However, when the girl screamed, he killed her. After her death, he raped the child.

Following the crime, Sunil returned home and joined his family in searching for the girl, acting as if unaware of her fate. His suspicious behavior during the investigation led to his arrest and confession.

Earlier, four suspects, including two maternal uncles accused of gang-raping and murdering their 11-year-old niece, were killed in an alleged police encounter in Bahawalpur, ARY News reported.

The suspects, all close relatives of the victim, were shot dead by their own accomplices during a shootout with police.

According to Saddar police, the suspects were being escorted to the crime scene to recover the murder weapon when their accomplices opened fire on the police, attempting to free them from custody.