KANPUR: A 33-year-old man sexually assaulted and killed his 14-year-old cousin just hours after she had tied a rakhi on his wrist in Auraiya, Uttar Pradesh. The police cracked the case and apprehended the suspect, who was jailed on Tuesday.The incident occurred when the accused, Surjeet, visited his uncle’s home on Saturday morning and later that night, after drinking heavily, he assaulted the sleeping teenager, murdered her, and staged the scene to look like a suicide by hanging her body, according to the police.The victim’s father, who was in another room, was unaware of the crime. He found her body the next day and informed the police. Upon investigation, authorities concluded it was not a suicide after finding bloodstains in several areas. They began questioning family members and noticed Surjeet’s constant presence. During questioning, he often spoke for other family members.

The following day, as police continued their investigation, Surjeet returned to the house and attempted to mislead them. His behavior raised suspicion as he hindered family members from answering questions and dominated the conversation. Eventually, Surjeet was detained and confessed to the crime during interrogation.Auraiya’s superintendent of police, Abhijeet Shankar, confirmed that a post-mortem verified the sexual assault.“Additionally, hair was found in the teenager’s nails and hand. Samples from the suspect’s hair have been collected for comparison and sent to the forensic science lab in Jhansi. A DNA test will also be conducted,” the SP added. The police are confident that the evidence will ensure justice for the victim and that the offender will be punished.(The victim’s identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault)