Jammu and Kashmir Police on Tuesday said it arrested a load carrier driver in his late twenties for allegedly murdering and raping a minor girl in central Kashmir’s Budgam district, a crime that had sent shockwaves across the Valley.
The accused arrested in the case was identified as Mudassir Ahmad Mir, a resident of Galwanpora.
Police said during sustained questioning, the accused confessed to his involvement in the crime.
“Acting on his disclosure, police recovered further material evidence connected with the commission of the offence and additional legal provisions are also invoked in the said case. Further, the motive behind the crime is still a matter of investigation, and further investigation is underway,” police said.
The body of a 12-year-old girl, who went missing on Saturday, was found close to her home in central Kashmir’s Budgam district on Sunday.
The police successfully solved the case within 36 hours of the incident, leading to the arrest of the accused involved in the heinous crime.
Police said on May 23, information was received at Police Station Budgam regarding the disappearance of a minor girl during the evening hours. Acting promptly, Police Station Budgam registered under relevant provisions of law and immediately launched an intensive search and investigation operation to trace the missing girl.
During the early morning hours of May 24, the body of the minor girl was recovered at a short distance from her residence, following which the investigation was taken up on priority and intensified from all angles.
District Police Budgam constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Sajad Ahmad- DSP Budgam, to ensure a swift, professional, and scientific investigation into the case.
Police said the investigation involved meticulous examination of the scene of crime (SOC), collection and analysis of biological and material evidence, digital evidence examination, CCTV footage analysis, human intelligence inputs, and sustained field operations.
“During the course of investigation, evidence pointed towards the involvement of a local individual. Multiple suspects were rounded up and subjected to sustained questioning. Through systematic cross-verification and corroboration of technical, physical, and circumstantial evidence, the investigating team narrowed down the investigation to the prime suspect, who was subsequently confronted with the incriminating evidence gathered during the investigation,” police said.
