PRAYAGRAJ: A joint team of Prayagraj police and special operation group (SOG) on Sunday claimed to have cracked the case of brutal killing of four members of a Dalit family in Phaphamau area of the city after arresting one Pawan Kumar Saroj.
A Dalit couple and their minor daughter, and son were found murdered inside their house on November 25 at Gorhi Mohanganj village under the limits of Phaphamau police station in trans-Ganga area.
Police on Sunday claimed that Pawan committed the crime after being spurned by the victim's daughter. He also allegedly raped her before killing her.
The killing became a major political issue with leaders of various parties, including Congress, Bahujan Samaj party, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Samajwadi party, attacking the state government for 'deteriorating law and order' in the state.
However, senior cops on Sunday evening claimed that the joint team assigned to crack the case, scanned the mobile of the slain girl and found her WhatsApp chats with Pawan.
Additional DG ( Prayagraj zone) Prem Prakash told reporters: "After scanning the WhatsApp chat of the slain girl made on November 21 evening hours and carrying out detailed investigations, police found the name Pawan Kumar Saroj, a resident of Tharwai, was sending messages to her."
When police detained and quizzed Pawan, he said that he had been following the girl for a long time but she was ignoring him. Irked by her behaviour, he claimed to have executed the crime.
Police claimed that probe teams were compiling more facts regarding the incident. They also said that the arrested youth was not cooperating with the police and tried to misguide the cops.
As per police, the accused admitted that he was forcing the girl to accept his friendship offer but she was refusing his proposal.
The police have also sent a blood-stained shirt of the accused for forensic test. The police have also been scanning more call details of the arrested youth to nab others suspected to be involved in the incident.
Police, meanwhile, said that a case under Section 147, 148, 149,302,376 (D) and 3/4 of Pocso Act and SC/ST act had been registered regarding the incident.
