BJP’s youth leader held for abduction, murder of 8-year-old girl

AHMEDABAD: BJP youth worker and two minors accused in murder of 8-year-old girl has been arrested by the police.

Preliminary investigations suggest the girl was strangulated to death and her body was dumped in the river.

According to reports published in Ahmedabad Mirror, the accused identified as 22-year-old Meet Patel kidnapped the child identified as Tanya Patel to collect ransom of Rs 25 lakh from her NRI parents.

The three accused were Tanya’s neighbour. On Monday of September 18 night, at around 7.45 pm, Tanya was playing in the society, when Meet lured the girl with chocolates and ice-creams and abducted her.

Upon receiving the missing complaint, police began the probe. When the news of Tanya’s disappearance went viral on social media, the three got panicked and strangled her even before demanding ransom and dumped the dead body in the Mahi River.

After the incident, Meet was continuously involved with the police to track the girl which raised suspicion.

“We conducted a background check when we got to know that Meet was caught earlier in an offence. He was detained and questioned thoroughly. Two other suspects of below 18 years of age were also questioned after which we pieced together the incident,” told Maninder Singh Pawar, SP, Kheda to TOI.

After the body of a missing Tanya was found floating in Mahi on Monday, the three accused were detained immediately.

A youth worker of Nadiad BJP, Meet has several cases of assaulting, prohibition and betting registered against him.

Meet had offered the two accused, who were students of class 12 money in exchange for their help.

Police registered a case under section 363 (kidnapping) of IPC. On Friday sections 302 (murder), 364 (a) (kidnapping for ransom), 120 (b) (criminal conspiracy) and 201(causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information) of IPC were appended to the case.

Tanya’s parents Amit Patel & Gayatri, residing in United Kingdom. Little Tanya stayed with her grandmother Kusum Patel at Lakshya Duplex near Santram temple in Nadiad.  The grieveparents watched their daughter’s last rites being performed online on Friday.