Girl’s rapist, killer held

Police on Wednesday arrested a 24-year-old man for allegedly raping and killing a minor girl in Chembur. The accused and the 14-year-old victim lived in the same building.

The girl had gone missing on January 8 and her body was found around 3 am on January 9. The post-mortem report revealed she was raped before murder.

Inspector Prasad Dharia of the RCF police station said: “Rajesh Deoram Gholap [the accused] lives in room no. 9 of Panchratna Building in Mhada Colony at Vashi Naka, Chembur. He will be produced before the metropolitan court on Thursday.”

Gholap revealed that the accused had dragged Sonali into his home and gagged her. He then raped her before killing her, Dharia said, adding that the girl lived on the fourth floor of the building. The police said the girl’s family had found her body in a sack with her mouth gagged with handkerchief. Both her hands were tied.” After the incident, Gholap had gone missing.