Chhattisgarh Man, 65, Arrested For Rape, Murder Of Woman, Her Baby Daughter

Chhattisgarh police have arrested a 65-year-old man for the brutal rape of a woman and the murder of both her and her 10-month-old daughter in Raigarh district, an official said on Saturday.

While the heinous crime took place on July 15 on a remote farm in Chhaparani village under the Lailunga police station limits, the police apprehended the accused, Bhikariram Nagvanshi, after weeks of intensive probe on August 6, the official said.

Raigarh police cracked the complex case by tracking suspicious injury marks on the alleged accused and piecing together forensic evidence, leading to the arrest of Nagvanshi, who confessed to attacking the victims when the mother resisted his assault, he said.

The 35-year-old victim, a widow reportedly suffering from mental health issues, lived on the farm with her infant daughter, Raigarh Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shashi Mohan Singh said.

The woman's cousin lodged a complaint at Lailunga police station on July 16 after she was found critically injured and her daughter dead at the spot, he said.

The woman had sustained severe injuries to her head and face after being attacked with a heavy object. She later succumbed to her injuries during treatment, Singh said, adding that a case was initially registered under section 103(1) (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Teams from the police, the Forensic Science Laboratory, and the dog squad inspected the crime scene and collected physical evidence.

As the crime had occurred in an isolated location with no eyewitnesses, the investigation was a major challenge, the SP said, adding that police camped in Chhaparapani village, questioning residents and deploying informants to gather intelligence.

During the probe, evidence began pointing toward Nagvanshi, a resident of Kodasiya village. Though he initially denied involvement during preliminary questioning, officers noticed a suspicious injury mark on his hand, the official said.

Upon further interrogation, Nagvanshi confessed to the crime, the official said.

According to the police, the accused entered the victim's house on the night of July 15 and found her sleeping next to her daughter. When she resisted his attempt to rape her, he repeatedly struck her on the head and face with a brick until she lost consciousness, after which he sexually assaulted her.

When the infant began crying, the accused allegedly strangled her and struck her with the brick, killing her on the spot, they said.

Following the attack, Nagvanshi fled through the fields to his hideout and changed out of his bloodstained dhoti. Based on information provided during his disclosure, police later recovered the stained garment.

Nagvanshi was arrested on charges of rape and double murder and produced before a local court on Friday, which remanded him to 14 days in judicial custody as further investigation continues.

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