Two boys arrested for killing five-year-old girl

KOLKATA - Two boys yet to reach their teens were arrested Thursday for killing a five-year-old girl, whose body was recovered two days ago from an under- construction building in southern Kolkata, police said.

Investigations revealed that the boys - one aged 10 and the other 11 - strangulated and killed Jhumjhum on the tenth floor of the under-construction building Tuesday, police said.

“The three children, all residents of Hastings quarters, were playing together. Jhumjhum got hit on the head and she became unconsciousness. At the suddenness of the incident, her two playmates got scared and fearing that her parents might scold them, they strangulated the girl and killed her,” Deputy Commissioner (south division) Supratim Sarkar said.

When Jhumjhum didn’t return, her parents lodged a complaint. Police later recovered the body from the tenth floor of the building, he said.

The post-mortem report revealed that Jhumjhum died because of strangulation but she also had an injury on her head, police said.

“Both the boys fled after committing the crime and later returned home but did not even confess before their parents,” Sarkar said.

“However, during police interrogation, they broke down and confessed to the crime. They were arrested, and will be produced before the juvenile court tomorrow (Friday),” he added.