Horror as girl, 7, raped, killed and dumped in shopping centre

A seven-year-old girl has been found raped and murdered inside the basement of an under-construction shopping mall in Ghaziabad in India, sparking community fury and a swift police crackdown. The child’s body, discovered early Saturday morning in the Raj Nagar Extension area under Nandgram police station, bore multiple fractures and a severe head injury.

A post-mortem examination confirmed she had been sexually assaulted before being killed. Detectives say the youngster may have been thrown from the building’s third floor, though the sequence of events remains under investigation. Two suspects, including a juvenile, have been detained.

Charges of rape, murder, kidnapping and offences under the POCSO Act have been filed.

The victim’s parents, migrant labourers working at the same construction site, had been searching for their daughter since Friday evening.

Her maternal uncle said the family lived in temporary shelters on the property.

Locals, enraged by the horror, attempted to attack a site security guard, forcing police to deploy additional personnel to maintain order.

Senior officers, including DCP Rural Surendra Nath Tiwari and ACP Priyashree Pal, confirmed forensic teams examined the crime scene and gathered evidence.

CCTV footage is being reviewed to establish the timeline.

Authorities say the investigation is ongoing, with forensic samples and witness statements expected to play a crucial role in piecing together the events leading to the child’s death.