Hyderabad police arrest former guard in Kowkoor girl kidnapping and murder case

A former security guard was arrested for allegedly kidnapping and murdering a five-year-old girl in Kowkoor and demanding Rs 20 lakh from her family. Police said CCTV footage helped identify the suspect, whose alleged motive and actions were outlined by investigators

Hyderabad: A former security guard was arrested for allegedly kidnapping and murdering a five-year-old girl in a gated residential community at Kowkoor and demanding a ransom of Rs 20 lakh from her family.

The accused has been identified as Vikram Kumar, a native of Nalanda district in Bihar.

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The girl, Aurelia alias Monu, went missing from Villa Orchids on October 10. Her body was found in an unused water sump in the cellar of the community’s clubhouse during an intensified search operation.

Malkajgiri Police Commissioner B Sumathi said on Monday that the girl, a PP-2 student, usually played with her bicycle in the clubhouse games zone around 6 pm and returned home by 7 pm. However, on October 10, she did not return home, and her family received a call from an unidentified person claiming to have the child in his custody. The caller, who claimed to be in Secunderabad, subsequently demanded Rs 20 lakh.

Ten special police teams were formed, comprising personnel from the Malkajgiri zone, Special Operations Team, crime wing and special branch. Technical surveillance, call detail analysis and examination of CCTV footage were also taken up, she said.

Based on the CCTV footage, the police suspected Vikram Kumar, who had worked as a security guard at the residential complex from September 22 to October 6. He was eventually traced and apprehended.

“During interrogation, Vikram allegedly confessed to murdering the child as part of a premeditated plan to extort Rs 20 lakh from her parents,” Sumathi said. The suspect allegedly decided to kill the girl when he realised that he could not control her while executing his kidnapping plan. He then concealed her body in the unused sump to avoid detection.

The accused was produced before a court and remanded in judicial custody. The police said they would pursue the case and seek an early trial before a fast-track court, with the aim of securing the death penalty.