HYDERABAD: A five-year-old girl was kidnapped and killed by a security guard who had been dismissed from his job at a gated community, Villa Orchids, in Kowkoor, Bollaram, late on Saturday night. The accused continued to demand ransom throughout the night, keeping the girl’s family in the dark about her murder.
Bollaram police said the victim, Aurelia, had gone to the clubhouse to watch the Bathukamma celebrations organised by the gated community. At 7.45 pm, her grandfather received a phone call from an unknown person claiming that their son was in his custody. “Aapka beta mere paas hai. Mujhe 20 lakh chahiye. Main Secunderabad mein hoon, aake le lo,” the caller said before disconnecting. However, when the girl’s brother was found cycling, their grandfather confronted the caller. The caller later contacted the girl’s father, Milton Fernandes Moses, a research scientist at an agriculture-based company, claiming that his daughter was in his captivity.
As the girl had not returned from the Bathukamma celebrations, her family members rushed to the clubhouse but could not find her. “Earlier, celebrations were being held with music and other activities, and the girl went to watch them. At 7.30 pm, when she did not return, I asked my son to call her home. After some time, my son returned home and said she would be back in five minutes,” the mother recalled.
Panicked, the victim’s family told the accused that they could not pay the large amount demanded and requested him to reduce the ransom. The accused asked them to transfer the money to a bank account. Willing to pay the ransom, the family asked him to at least show the girl on a video call to reassure them of her safety. However, the accused refused their request. After some time, the victim’s family informed the police, who reached the spot. Subsequently, the accused’s phone was switched off.
Meanwhile, residents of the gated community checked CCTV footage, which showed the girl leaving the clubhouse. A short distance away, a man was seen following her. When the police and residents traced the phone number from which the victim’s family had received the call, they found that it belonged to a security guard on duty at the gated community. During questioning, the guard claimed that Vikram, a native of Bihar who had been dismissed from his job, had entered the premises. He said Vikram had used his phone to make the ransom calls. In one of the CCTV clips, Vikram was seen signalling something to the guard while hurriedly leaving the premises.
Based on information provided by the guard on duty late on Saturday night, residents and police searched the clubhouse cellar, where the girl’s body was found in a water sump. Her hands and legs were tied, and two bricks had been tied around her waist. The incident has sent shock waves through the community. Police have taken all the security guards currently working at the gated community into custody for questioning. Meanwhile, police deployed drones in Secunderabad and other parts of the city to trace Vikram, who is wanted in connection with the case. Special teams were also sent to Patancheru and other areas in search of the accused. The heartbroken family demanded justice and urged officials to punish the accused. “I want the accused to die,” the victim’s mother said in anger. Vikram had been removed from his job by the society a few days ago over allegations of poor conduct.
