In a distressing incident that has garnered significant attention, police in Punganur, Chittoor district, have solved the murder of an eight-year-old girl, which has caused public outrage. The case was cracked just three days after the girl’s father reported her missing. District Superintendent of Police (SP) Manikantha Chandolu revealed that a loan of ₹3 lakh was the motive behind the heinous crime.
Authorities have arrested three individuals in connection with the case: Reshma, the child’s mother Hasina, and a minor boy named Akhil. According to reports, the girl’s father had lent ₹3 lakh to Reshma, who failed to repay the loan. Following repeated demands for repayment, tensions escalated, leading Reshma to conspire against the child. It is alleged that she called the girl to her residence, fed her, and, with assistance from others, killed her without leaving any signs of struggle. After the crime, the suspects transported the child’s body on a motorcycle and disposed of it in a storage tank. Police confirmed that there were no visible injuries on the girl’s body and that she had been murdered by suffocation.
In response to the incident, District Collector Sumith expressed his outrage over false narratives circulated by certain media outlets regarding the child’s death. Home Minister Anitha had previously clarified that there was no evidence of sexual assault in this tragic case.