A chilling case of murder has emerged from Jaipur's Harmada area, where a five-year-old girl was allegedly killed by her neighbor. The accused, Gudiya Devi (30), was arrested on Monday, less than 48 hours after the crime. The motive behind the murder was suspicion of an illicit relationship between her husband and the victim's mother, as well as a quarrel over fetching water.
Incident Details
The incident took place on Saturday in Shri Shyam Vatika Colony under Harmada police station limits. The child's father had left for work in the morning. Around 1 pm, his wife informed him that their daughter had gone missing. Family members and local residents searched extensively before alerting the police.
Investigation and Discovery
During the investigation, police found that the victim frequently visited Gudiya Devi's house and played with her children. CCTV footage showed the girl entering the accused's residence but not coming out. This prompted police to search the house, where the child's body was found wrapped in a blanket and concealed inside a divan.
Police said Gudiya Devi had been upset for quite some time. She suspected that the victim's mother used to speak with her husband, Afroz alias Firoz Khan, over the phone. She also held a grudge following a recent argument with the victim's mother over fetching water. Investigators revealed that the accused wanted to see the child's mother suffer and had allegedly been planning the crime for several days.
Modus Operandi
According to police, when the child visited her house on June 13, the accused allegedly lured her inside, removed her clothes, and smothered her to death by pressing her mouth. She then wrapped the body in a blanket and hid it in the divan. Police said she had also planned to dispose of the body in a nearby forest during the night to divert suspicion and mislead investigators.
Legal Action
A case has been registered under relevant provisions of the law, and further investigation is continuing. The accused remains in custody as authorities delve deeper into the case.
