BHOPAL: In Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, a nine-year-old girl was tragically murdered by a neighbour, identified as Riyaz Khan. Reports indicate that the suspect attacked the child after an attempted sexual assault. When the victim resisted and cried out for help, the assailant reportedly forced her into a sack and used a heavy pestle to beat her until she lost consciousness; she later succumbed to her injuries.
A tragic incident occurred in a village in Khachrod tehsil on December 14. The girl had arrived at her grandmother’s house with her two older sisters after school had closed.
In the afternoon, the grandmother and the older sisters were sitting on the rooftop, while the girl was playing outside. When she did not return after a long time, the grandmother sent one of her sisters to look for her, but she was nowhere to be found. The family began searching for her immediately.
Around 5:45 pm, a neighbour arrived carrying the unconscious girl, claiming she had fallen from a roof. The girl’s face was swollen, with injuries to her head, nose, and eyes, and she was bleeding profusely. The family rushed her to Khachrod hospital for first aid, but due to the severity of her condition, she was transferred to Ratlam hospital, where she died during treatment on Monday, 15th December.
Khachrod SDOP Akanksha Bichote stated that doctors found no signs of a fall. Instead, the injuries indicated that she had been struck repeatedly with a hard object. Police deployed a dog squad and a forensic team to the house of Riyaz Khan, the main suspect, to collect evidence.
During interrogation, Riyaz reportedly confessed. He claimed that the girl had been alone at his house when he attempted to assault her. When she resisted and screamed, he beat her with a “mogri” and stuffed her into a sack, believing she was dead. He later dragged her out of the house and, realising she was still alive, carried her back to her grandmother, falsely claiming she had fallen from the roof. Riyaz Khan has been arrested, and investigations are ongoing. The community is demanding strict justice for the young girl.
