GOOD WORKS

The court found the accused guilty of the murder of a five-year-old girl in Aluva.

The accused in the abduction and rape of a five-year-old migrant girl in Aluva was found guilty by a court on Saturday. This was a significant achievement for the Ernakulam Rural police, who completed the investigation in a remarkably short time. The incident that shocked the nation occurred on July 28. Asfaq Alam, originally from Bihar, had taken the girl to the market and subjected her to severe abuse, resulting in her tragic death. The accused was apprehended that very night after an intensive investigation. A 645-page charge sheet was submitted within 33 days, led by District Police Chief Vivek Kumar. They examined 43 witnesses and included more than 95 documents and 10 pieces of physical evidence, such as shoes, clothing, and crucial documents.

The investigation extended to Bihar, Delhi, and West Bengal to gather critical information about the accused, which was incorporated into the chargesheet. The chargesheet was meticulously prepared to ensure the accused received the maximum possible punishment, encompassing 16 different charges, including murder, kidnapping, rape, and unnatural sexual assault. The court fully accepted this chargesheet as evidence.

Key pieces of evidence included eyewitnesses who saw the accused abducting the child, CCTV footage, DNA of the accused found on the child's clothes and body, and clothing recovered from the scene of the incident. The 30-member police team was led by DySP A. Prasad and Inspector M.M. Manjudas, with Mohan Raj serving as the Special Public Prosecutor.