Surat child rape case: Suspect arrested, Andhra Pradesh couple claims victim is their lost daughter

Cops believe that the body of a woman discovered near the crime scene area is likely the mother of the victim

ANI photo

SURAT: Gujarat Police on Friday arrested one person from Ahmedabad in connection with the rape and murder case of an unidentified minor girl in Surat, an incident that shook the entire nation. The accused, identified as Harsh Sahay Gurjar, was held from Ganganagar in Rajasthan's Sawai Madhopur district, said Gujarat Home Minister Pradeepsinh Jadeja.

A breakthrough came after investigators zeroed on a black car at the crime site while viewing the CCTV footage of Pandesara area, where the victim's body was found.

The car's owner was discovered to be a stone contractor in Rajasthan, at whose place the girl and her mother are thought to be were working.

The contractor told the police that his brother had gone to Rajasthan in that car and that he suspected his involvement, Jadeja said, reported news agency PTI.

"Since the accused went in the car to Rajasthan, the contractor told police that he suspected that his brother might be behind the crime," Jadeja said.

Meanwhile, a couple from Andhra Pradesh has approached Surat police, after the later released two photos of the victim on social media, claiming that the minor victim might be their lost daughter.

"A man from Andhra Pradesh today approached us along with some of his family members, claiming that the girl whose body was found on April 6 was his daughter. He said she had gone missing in October last year," said Surat Police Commissioner Satish Sharma.

"The man said his claim is based on the fact that the photo of his missing daughter matched with that of the victim. He also furnished an Aadhaar card of his missing daughter. We are not yet certain that the victim is his daughter. Therefore, we will match their DNA samples to verify the claim," Sharma said.

However, the police believe that the body of a woman discovered near the crime scene area, three to four days after the minor's body was found, is likely the mother.

"We believe that he has killed both of them. We will be conducting DNA tests to verify if the there is a relationship between the woman and the girl," said Jadeja. 

The body of the minor girl, believed to be in the age group of 9 to 11 years was found from a cricket ground in Bhestan area of Surat on April 6, with 86 injury marks.

After a five-hour-long post-mortem, it was revealed that the girl was raped and tortured for at least eight days, and was later strangled to death.

A special public prosecutor would be appointed for a speedy trial to bring the accused to justice, added the minister.

With agency inputs