Four held in Aligarh minor murder case, lawyers refuse to appear for accused

Aligarh: Amid outrage over the brutal murder of a 2.5-year-old child in Aligarh, city lawyer's association Saturday announced that no advocate will appear in court for the accused. “We stand with the family of 2.5-year-old girl who was murdered in Tappal and no advocate will appear in Court for the accused. Advocate from outside will not be allowed to fight the case. We will fight for the child,” said the Aligarh Bar Association.  

The mutilated body of the minor victim, who reportedly went missing from Tappal township on May 31, was found in a garbage dump on June 2. 

Two accused – Zahid and Aslam – were arrested by authorities on Friday night. Cops arrested two more accused – Zahid's brother Mehandi and his wife – on Saturday. The wife's scarf was found tied around the minor girl neck, sources said. Hunt for the fifth accused is currently underway. 

Both Zahid and Aslam confessed to killing the minor after her father failed to return Rs 10,000 he had borrowed from them, police said in a statement.

The post-mortem report states that the minor was brutally beaten to death, repeatedly hit on the chest which led to a fracture in ribs, left leg and critical head injuries. The report adds that the right arm was chopped off from the shoulder and the body was eaten up by insects to such an extent that bones were exposed at certain places.

The postmortem, however, ruled out any sign of sexual assault. A forensic lab is now investigating any possibilities of sexual assault.

A six-member Special Investigative Team (SIT) has been constituted to probe the matter. A case has also been registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.