NEW DELHI: Seven months after an 18-year-old girl was murdered in a forest in south Delhi, police have apprehended a relative, now in his 20s, for allegedly sexually assaulting her when she was a minor. A case was registered under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act last Nov after her diary was found following her death. According to police, the diary was found by the girl’s mother while going through her belongings. The teenager had written that she was sexually abused between the ages of six and 12 by the man, who was also a minor at that time. She noted that the accused had repeatedly threatened to harm her if she confided in anybody. After registering the case, police started tracing the accused and, earlier this week, he was apprehended, and not arrested, as he had committed the crime when he was a minor, sources said.

The college student was murdered on June 1 last year, allegedly by her 18-year-old classmate. The girl was reported missing by her mother on the day of the incident after she didn’t return home from the college. Police said that around noon, the girl had called her mother to say that she would return shortly. However, later, the family received a call from the father of the accused, claiming that his son was attacked in the forest and hospitalised. Her sister said the man claimed that the girl herself had attacked the boy with a knife.After the classmate was apprehended, he, however, confessed to calling the girl to the forest and taking her to a secluded area, where he had allegedly stabbed and strangled her. He had also attempted to burn the body and went to a hospital with minor injuries, police were told. The girl’s body was found following his disclosure. A case was registered under sections 103(1) (murder) and 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the crime weapon was also recovered.The victim’s father has alleged that the accused was harassing his daughter even after she stopped speaking to him months ago. He claimed that the boy would come to their house to argue and also confronted her at a language class once and twisted her hand.