Missing 13-month-old girl found dead in Hyderabad

HYDERABAD:  A 13-month-old girl child, who went missing on Sunday, was found dead under suspicious circumstances in Miyapur area of Hyderabad on Monday, police said.

The toddler's body was found in an open place near her house in Omkar Nagar. The area falls under Miyapur police station limits of Cyberabad police commissionerate.

The child's parents, who collect garbage, had left the child with a neighbor on Sunday morning. When they returned home in the evening, they did not find her and lodged a complaint with the police.

The police and family members searched the entire area till last night but did not find the child. Her grandmother spotted the body in an open place near the house on Monday morning.

Miyapur police inspector S. Venkatesh said they found drowning symptoms on the body. Police shifted the body to government-run Gandhi Hospital for autopsy. It registered a case of death under suspicious circumstances and took up investigation.

"We have launched the investigation to find out where and how she drowned and if anybody dumped the body after killing her at some other place," the police official said.

Police recorded the statement by the child's parents, who suspect involvement of a relative.

The incident came close on the heels of rape and murder of a six-year-old girl by her neighbour in Saidabad area of the city.

The girl was sexually assaulted and killed by one P. Raju in Singareni Colony on September 9. The incident sparked public outrage. Police arrested the accused from his native village Addaguduru in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district. Hyderabad district collector L. Shraman announced that the accused will be tried in a fast-track court.