Accused shot dead during reconstruction, investigation continues
Greater Noida police shot dead the principal accused in the alleged rape and murder of a six-year-old girl while the suspect was being taken to the scene to recreate the sequence of events, officials said on Saturday. The girl, reported missing from Haldoni village on Friday afternoon, was found dead near a village pond early on Saturday, police said.
According to police officers familiar with the probe, the main accused — described by authorities as a 40-year-old man and identified in media reports as Balraj — was taken into custody on Saturday afternoon after CCTV footage and other inputs helped identify him. The suspect was being taken to the area where he claimed to have hidden the weapon when an exchange of fire broke out and he was shot, the officers said.
- Victim: Six-year-old girl from Haldoni village, Greater Noida.
- Main accused: 40-year-old man (named Balraj in media reports), taken into custody and later killed in the encounter.
- Location of body recovery: Area near a village pond, Haldoni.
- Police response: Missing person complaint registered at Ecotech-3 police station; five teams formed to recover the child.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (central Noida) Shailendra Kumar Singh said a case was registered after the family, which runs a sweet shop in the village, reported the child missing on Friday night. "An intensive search operation was launched and the body of the minor girl was recovered nearby," he said, according to police briefings released to the press.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (central Noida) Swatantra Kumar Singh told reporters that investigators believe the child was abducted and sexually assaulted at the house of a second suspect. Police are also probing the possible involvement of an extended family member of the girl, the official said.
"The rape and murder took place at the house of the other suspect," Additional DCP Swatantra Kumar Singh said, according to media accounts.
Residents of Haldoni village gathered on the main road after the body was found and raised slogans, according to local reports. Police said they used CCTV footage and information from other sources to identify and arrest the main suspect. Media reports cited the arrested man as saying he had hidden the alleged weapon in bushes near the D-Park police outpost; it was while being taken to the spot that the encounter occurred, police said.
Political response and law-and-order concerns
The incident drew condemnation from political leaders. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav described the case as "spine-chilling" in a post on X, saying it had instilled fear among parents across the state and raising questions about the law-and-order situation in Uttar Pradesh. In the post he alleged that corruption had affected the police and that some officers were colluding with criminals, and called for justice.
"The case of the rape and murder of a 6-year-old innocent girl from the minority community in Greater Noida is spine-chilling," Akhilesh Yadav wrote on X. "Justice must be done!!!"
Officials have not released a full timeline of the encounter or the precise sequence of events that led to the shooting, and an internal inquiry is likely as is customary in cases involving a police encounter. The police account states that the suspect engaged officers, prompting the use of lethal force.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Missing reported | Friday night, Ecotech-3 police station FIR |
| Body recovered | Saturday morning, near village pond, Haldoni |
| Primary suspect | 40-year-old man (identified as Balraj in media reports); killed in encounter during reconstruction |
Investigating officers said they had formed five teams to search for the missing child after the complaint was filed. The probe now centres on establishing the precise circumstances of the abduction, the location where the assault and murder occurred and whether additional persons were involved. Police have said they are looking into the role of a second suspect and a possible extended family member.
The case has revived wider concerns over child safety and policing in the state capital region. Officials in Gautam Buddh Nagar district and the Noida police administration face pressure to provide a clear account of the events that followed the child's disappearance and to ensure a thorough, transparent investigation of both the crime and the subsequent encounter.
Authorities have not yet released the results of any forensic examination or detailed witness statements. The family of the child and local residents are awaiting further action and assurances of legal process from the district administration and the police.
