8-yr-old girl’s life taken 'for gold jewellery'

Police in Jhikargacha upazila of Jashore arrested a woman on charges of strangling an eight-year-old girl to death to steal her gold earrings and necklace.

Police recovered the body of Sadia Khatun from a bush at Matikumra village around 12:30am yesterday.

Sadia was a madrasa student. 

Police arrested Champa Begum, a resident of the village, who also has a daughter of the same age as Sadia.

Quoting the victim's family members, police said Sadia went missing Tuesday afternoon after she went to play near her home.

In the evening, her father Babu Moral and locals looked for her across the village but could not find her, said Bablur Rahman Khan, officer-in-charge of Jhikargacha Police Station.

At night, several villagers informed the victim's family and police that they saw Sadia with Champa.

Police detained Champa around 11:30pm on Tuesday, and during the interrogation, she admitted that she killed Sadia to steal her gold chain and earrings, said Bablur.

An hour later, locals found Sadia's body.

Police said the body bore signs of strangulation, he said.

The body was sent to Jashore Sadar Hospital for autopsy and legal proceedings are underway, the police officer added.