Eluru: A man infected with HIV, accused of raping and murdering a seven-year-old girl here, allegedly committed suicide by jumping from a flyover in West Godavari district after irate locals began chasing him for the crime, police said on Saturday.
According to Deputy Superintendent of Police, Eluru town, Sabitha, the incident took place yesterday when accused Jonuganti Suresh, a habitual sex offender was spotted by locals near a bus station when he tried to flee from the city.
The girl, whose body was found from Suresh's house stuffed in a trunk box, had gone missing from Tuesday evening when she had gone to the grocery shop run by the accused on the city outskirts, police said.
Suresh allegedly lured the girl into the shop and sexually violated her resulting in her death following which he hid her in the trunk box, they said.
On Wednesday, parents of the victim's filed a missing complaint with Eluru rural police station and said they doubted Suresh for their daughter's disappearance.
Subsequently, police conducted searches at Suresh's house and found her body on Thursday night.
In the meantime, the accused fled the spot.
Subsequently, police formed search teams to nab the accused, who was spotted by locals yesterday following which he climbed the flyover and jumped from there. He died on the spot but angry locals and protesters continued pelting stones on him.
Suresh was deserted by his family much earlier for allegedly abusing his own daughter, police added.
