Hyderabad: A 24 year-old saree trader allegedly kidnapped, sodomised and murdered a nine-year-old child in Moinabad on Sunday. Santosh, after killing the child, dumped the body in the overhead water tank of an apartment.
Police said Santosh, a native of Damaragidda in Mahbubnagar district, stayed at Rajiv Gruha Kalpa and used to make friends with children. He used to give his smartphone for the children to play and used the tactic to lure the victim.
Before shifting to Hyderabad, he had Rs 4 lakh in debts. He hatched a plan to kidnap a child from the area and demand money from his parents.
Santosh noticed that the victim’s father was working as a security guard for a software firm in Gachibowli. On Sunday evening, while the child was playing with his friends, Santosh gave him toffees and took him to his room on the third floor where he sexually attac-ked and murdered him.
Later, he came down and pretended to help the family search for the child. In between, he called the child’s father over phone and demanded Rs 5 lakh as ransom, after which the parents lodged a complaint with the police.
When residents and police who searched all the blocks came to Santosh’s room, they found blood stains in the toilet. Suspecting his role, locals beat him up after which he admitted to the offence. Santosh was arrested and will be produced before court.
