The Gurgaon Police have arrested a 25-year-old man for the alleged rape and murder of a 3-year-old girl in the Sector 37 area. The accused, identified as Shivnath, lived in the same building as the victim and worked as a scrap handler. The incident occurred on the evening of February 19, 2026, and the police recovered the body early Friday morning after the suspect confessed to the crime.
How did the police track down the accused?
The child went missing while playing outside her home in Mohammadpur Jharsa on Thursday evening between 6:40 PM and 7:15 PM. When the family could not find her, they filed a missing person report around 12:20 AM on Friday. Police teams immediately started investigating and reviewed CCTV footage from the neighborhood.
The cameras captured Shivnath leading the child away from her house. Using this clear evidence, the police apprehended him shortly after. During the initial questioning, he admitted to the crime. Based on his information, officers found the girl’s body around 2:00 AM in a shallow pit near the industrial area of Sector 37, which is about 4 km away from their residence.
What are the charges filed in this case?
The police have registered a strict FIR against Shivnath at the Sector 37 Police Station. The accused is a native of Supaul district in Bihar. Authorities have invoked several sections of the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the POCSO Act against him.
- Murder: Section 103(1) of the BNS.
- Kidnapping: Section 137 of the BNS.
- Destruction of Evidence: Section 238(a) of the BNS.
- Sexual Assault: Section 6 of the POCSO Act for aggravated penetrative sexual assault.
ASI Sandeep Kumar confirmed that forensic teams have collected evidence from the burial site. The accused is currently in police custody as officials complete the post-mortem formalities.
