ALUVA: Police said that Asafak Alam, the accused who sexually assaulted and murdered a five-year-old girl in Aluva, was accused in a sexual assault case before as well. Asafak had remained in jail for attempting to sexually abuse a 10-year-old girl. He was arrested by the Ghazipur police in Uttar Pradesh. The incident took place in Uttar Pradesh in 2018. However, after spending a month in jail, he fled the state soon after getting released on bail, the police said.

Meanwhile, the investigation team has decided to question Asafak Alam in detail after getting him in custody following the identification parade. The team will investigate whether more people are involved in the case. The FIR has nine sections including murder, POCSO, rape, and kidnapping. The investigation team will go to Bihar to find out more about the accused's criminal background.

The body of the five-year-old girl was found buried in a garbage heap behind the Aluva market last Saturday. The post-mortem report stated that the child was subjected to sexual assault and was strangled to death. The child was playing in front of the Mukkath Plaza when the accused befriended her and kidnapped her.