Seven-year-old raped, killed by father’s friend

Bangalore, June 18: A seven-year-old girl was brutally raped and murdered by her father’s friend at Nallurahalli near Whitefield on Saturday night.

The body of Jayasudha, daughter of Basavaraju, a mason from Raichur, was found floating in a lake at the village on Sunday morning. Nagaraj, 28 who confessed to the crime has been arrested.

He too is a resident of Nallurahalli and works as a help at a garage.

According to Mahadevi, mother of the girl, Nagaraj took away Jayasudha from a temple, where she had gone with her sisters to attend a fair. “My three daughters came back running and said Nagaraj had taken away Jaya. I never saw her alive again,” said a sobbing Mahadevi.

Basavaraju had barred Nagaraj, a neighbour, from entering their house a few months ago when Mahadevi complained to him about Nagaraj’s behaviour. “He hasn’t visited us since. But he had been friendly with my children and used to bring chocolates and biscuits to them,” Basavaraju said.

On Saturday, Nagaraj helped the girls to eat food at the temple. He even washed their hands after the food. While the four were leaving for home, he lured Jaya offering her chocolates. Jaya went with Nagaraj, ignoring the warnings from her eldest sister Ambramma, 10. When Ambramma tried to stop Jaya from going with Nagaraj, the latter slapped her and shoved her away, Basavaraju added.

“We searched for Jaya and Nagaraj all through the night. Someone told us he had taken Jaya to the lake. After we complained to the police Sunday morning, they joined us in the search,” he said.

The police retrieved the body and a post mortem was conducted at the Bowring Hospital. Basavaraju’s family had come to the City in search of jobs from Sangapura, near Manvi in Raichur four years ago. The couple have two other daughters – Sridevi, 9, and Sevanti, 5 – all studying at a government school.

Based on the account given by Ambramma, Whitefield police arrested Nagaraj from his house on Sunday.

On interrogation, he confessed to raping the girl repeatedly. When she fell unconscious, he pushed her into the lake, fearing that she may inform her parents about the incident.