Patna, Jan 13 (IANS) The arrested accused in the horrifying rape and murder of two minor girls in Phulwari Sharif on the outskirts of Patna, was a serial offender, a top police official said on Saturday.

The accused, identified as Devanand Rai alias Bhoplu, a native of Adampur village, was arrested on Friday.

He committed the crime on Monday and on Tuesday, the two minor girls of the Mahadalit community, aged eight and 12-year-old, were found abandoned in a pit near Hinduni village.

The accused killed the younger victim after raping her. He also attacked the 12-year-old girl with a concrete slab but she survived.

She is currently undergoing treatment at AIIMS Patna.

“We have conducted thorough investigation scientifically and traditionally in this case. Our teams interacted and took the statements of the victims' family members and they revealed that they went to collect 'Upla' in the house of accused Devananad Rai alias Bhoplu. Their statements were cross-checked with the injured victim and she also mentioned that only one person committed the crime,” district SSP Rajiv Mishra.

“We have also interacted with the several minor girls and women of the village. On the basis of their statements, we zerod-in the accused Devanand Rai, During interrogation, the accused broke down and confessed to the crime. He said that the victims came to his house to take 'Upla' but he said that it was not available in the house. It would be available in the agricultural field.

"He then took both the victims to that place but as a woman was coming there, he asked them to go to another place. When they reached there, another woman was coming there. Hence, he took them to a third location to provide 'Upla', where he attacked the two girls. He picked a concrete slab and smashed it on their heads.

"The eight-year old victim died on the spot, while second girl became unconscious. The accused thought that both the girls were dead. He left them and fled from the spot,” Mishra added.

The district SSP further said that during interrogation, "the accused initially misled us by alleging two more persons were involved in it".

"When we cross check with those two persons, we have found two more sensational pieces of information about the accused. One of the persons said that the accused had picked his minor daughter in the lap and went into the agricultural field but as her mother spotted him holding her daughter, she raised alarm and the villagers thrashed him. At that time, the victim did not approach the police station.

"When we consulted the second person, he said that his 72-year-old mother was killed by unidentified persons on April 19, 2023. When we again questioned Devanand he said that he had raped and killed the elderly woman. He said while she was sleeping in the outhouse he dragged her into an agricultural field. He first smashed her head with a pipe and when she become unconscious, he raped her.

"After committing the crime, the accused tried to bring her back to outhouse but failed and left her abandoned,” Mishra said.

The district SSP said that a case in this regard was registered at the Phulwarisharif police station on April 19, 2023.

"Injury marks appeared on the victim's back following the in the autopsy report, but rape was not ascertained. Now, we are recommending that case as well for the charge sheet against the accused,” Mishra said.

“We have collected evidences, including the concrete slab which was used in the commission of crime against the two minor girls. Blood stains were found on it. We also have the FSL report, statement of the survivor and others. We will also request the court for speedy trial in this case."