Tragic Abduction and Murder of 11-Year-Old in Delhi: A Cab Driver's Horrific Crime

A Disturbing Incident Unfolds

New Delhi: In a shocking incident, an 11-year-old girl was reportedly kidnapped, assaulted, and murdered by a cab driver while she was sleeping next to her family on a pavement in South Delhi during the early hours of June 22, according to police reports released on Tuesday.

The suspect, who was allegedly under the influence of marijuana, is said to have taken the girl to a secluded area near the Faridabad-Gurugram border, where he assaulted her, strangled her with a cloth, and then struck her chest with a stone. He attempted to hide the body by covering it with stones.

What has left both investigators and the victim's family in shock is the suspect's demeanor following the crime. Authorities noted that he displayed no signs of remorse, remained largely unemotional during questioning, and even resumed his daily activities, including picking up another passenger before his arrest hours later.

The accused, identified as Bashu Kumar Singh, 29, hails from Bihar and is married with children. He was apprehended within six hours of the crime after a massive manhunt involving nearly 20 police teams.

Reports indicate that the girl was sleeping beside her parents, who work as daily-wage laborers, near Chattarpur metro station when Singh allegedly abducted her around 4:15 AM.

Witnesses stated that Singh had parked his white hatchback near the family for a while before the abduction occurred. The girl's father woke up shortly after and noticed the vehicle speeding away, realizing his daughter was missing. A call was made to the police at 4:58 AM, prompting an immediate response.

A kidnapping case was filed, and a large-scale search operation commenced. Police reviewed footage from nearly 200 CCTV cameras, tracking Singh's movements through technical surveillance and local intelligence.

The investigation led officers to Vikaspuri in West Delhi, where Singh was arrested around 11 AM, shortly after he had dropped off a passenger.

"He had picked up and dropped a passenger after the crime and appeared to be behaving normally, showing no indication of what he had done," a police source revealed.

During questioning, Singh allegedly confessed to consuming marijuana before the crime but frequently altered his account of events. In one version, he claimed to have assaulted the girl inside his car on Mandi Road near Fatehpur Beri, while in another, he stated he took her to a secluded forested area along the Faridabad-Gurugram road, where he committed the heinous acts. Authorities are also investigating whether he drugged the victim.

Later, Singh led investigators to the crime scene around 5 PM, where the girl's body was discovered hidden under stones.

Investigators are also looking into Singh's claim that he initially intended to return the girl to her family but fled upon seeing police in the vicinity.

Forensic teams collected biological and material evidence from both the suspect's vehicle and the crime scene, and the body has been sent for a post-mortem examination.

So far, no evidence has emerged indicating the involvement of any other individuals.

Charges have been filed under Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, along with accusations of rape, kidnapping, and murder under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Meanwhile, emotional scenes unfolded at a crematorium in Chattarpur as the girl's family mourned her loss amid heavy police presence.

Relatives were seen grieving deeply, with some collapsing in sorrow and others fainting during the cremation ceremony.

"We have lost everything. The accused must face capital punishment," a family member exclaimed.

Authorities have also discovered that Singh has five prior criminal cases against him in Bihar, including two for attempted murder. Investigators noted that he showed no remorse during questioning and expressed no regret for his actions. His family described him as having an aggressive temperament.

Officials plan to contact the online cab service through which Singh was employed to determine if proper background checks were conducted.

Police have stated that they will expedite the filing of the chargesheet to ensure the maximum penalty for the accused.