Five-Year-Old Girl Kidnapped and Killed in Hyderabad; Police Hunt for Sacked Security Guard

A five-year-old girl, the daughter of an agriculture scientist, was allegedly kidnapped and murdered by a former security guard at a gated community in Secunderabad, police said on Sunday. The accused remains at large.

The girl, Moses Aureli, was reported missing on Saturday evening while playing near her villa at Villa Orchids in Kowkur, within the limits of Bollarum Police Station under the Malkajgiri Commissionerate.

Her body was later found in the cellar of the community’s clubhouse. According to the report, her hands and legs were tied, and her body had been dumped in a water sump.

Police suspect that the accused, identified as Vikram, kidnapped the child and demanded a ransom of Rs 20 lakh from her family. Although the family reportedly agreed to pay the amount, the accused allegedly switched off his mobile phone.

Following a complaint from the girl’s parents, police registered a case and launched a search operation. Preliminary investigations indicated that Vikram had allegedly been following the child before kidnapping her.

Police have formed 10 special teams to trace the suspect. His mobile phone was reportedly switched off near Secunderabad Railway Station, prompting teams to search the surrounding areas.

Police personnel conducted extensive searches on Saturday night, deploying drone cameras and checking lodges and hotels around the railway station. Efforts were continuing on Sunday to apprehend the suspect and establish the sequence of events leading to the child’s death.

According to residents of the gated community, Vikram had been removed from his security guard job two days earlier over alleged misconduct. He is suspected of holding a grudge because the girl’s grandfather was part of the committee that decided to dismiss him following complaints from several residents.

The alleged kidnapping and murder have sent shockwaves through Villa Orchids and nearby areas. Residents have demanded that the police apprehend the accused at the earliest and ensure that he faces the harshest punishment under the law.