Woman, four sons held for killing daughter of sweet mart owner

11-year-old kidnapped by papaya supplier, taken to Pali in Rajasthan, raped multiple times.

Bhayender Police arrested a woman and her four sons on Tuesday for allegedly kidnapping, raping and attempting to kill an 11-year-old girl.

Navghar Police said the girl, a resident of Bhayender (East), disappeared from her father's sweet mart on May 4.

On July 14, they received a call from Pali Police in Rajasthan that a girl had been found at a bridge near a canal there with severe injuries on her face and private parts.

Local residents had assumed the girl was dead.

However, Pali Police admitted her to hospital, which declared her alive. A medical examination revealed she had been raped.

After regaining consciousness, the girl told police she was kidnapped by a man, identified as Naresh Prajapat (20) of Pali district, who used to supply papayas to her father.

She said Naresh took her to the residences of his elder brothers and raped her there on multiple occasions. His mother Jeevidevi (60) was allegedly aware of the kidnapping and rape.

"Whenever locals grew suspicious, Naresh told them he was going to marry the girl and that he had brought her along to seek family approval," said Navghar Police Inspector Dinkar Pingle.

The suspicion of the locals, however, grew as the girl belonged to a different caste. They were aware Jeevidevi would disown Naresh if he married a girl from another caste.

"As the locals began questioning Jeevidevi, she ordered son Gopalram to kill the girl. On July 13, she was taken to the canal and smothered. Gopalram also mashed her face with a boulder and abandoned her thinking she was dead," said Pingle.

After recording statement of the girl, police started tracing phone locations of Naresh. They got to know on Monday he was in Vapi, Gujarat. The next day they arrested him, his brothers Gopalram, Bharat and Kastur and Jeevidevi for rape, kidnapping and attempt to murder.

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