New Delhi: For years, Balraj allegedly preyed on the most vulnerable. A 70-year-old woman, an eight-year-old child, even animals.
This time, it was a six-year-old girl. Raped and murdered in UP’s Greater Noida. The chilling case has made headlines ever since a CCTV clip showing a man, purportedly Balraj, taking the child into his house and walking out with a sack sometime later—started flashing on TV news channels.
The victims changed, but the pattern did not. After eight years behind bars from 2017 to 2025 in cases of rape and murder, Balraj was released on bail. Investigators say it wasn’t long before he struck again.
“He was a serial rapist. A pervert. He would prey on the most vulnerable, those who could not overpower him or defend themselves. Which is why he targeted elderly people and children and even animals,” a police source said.
“I killed her because she was shouting too much in pain while I raped her,” 45-year-old Balraj, originally from Bulandshahr, is learnt to have told investigators after his arrest on 28 August. He also allegedly told them he put her body in a sack so he could dispose of it.
A day later, he was killed by a UP police team in an encounter. According to the police, he pulled out a “hidden weapon” and tried to open fire at them while in custody.
“He had no remorse. When asked about the rape of children, he first tried to mislead us but later admitted that he raped the girl. The 6-year-old was brutally assaulted, her private parts sustained severe injuries and she was covered in blood when her body was recovered,” a police source said. “The locals said that he did not even spare animals and sexually assaulted goats and cattle. No one filed a formal complaint because they were scared.”
According to police records, besides cases of rape and murder of minors and an elderly woman, Balraj had seven other cases of theft, attempt to murder, theft as well as an Arms Act FIR against him.
The oldest case against Balraj dates back to 2008, when he was accused of stabbing an individual. Police records show he was arrested in a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder in 2006. Three cases of theft were lodged against him in 2014, another in 2016 and then one case of rape and murder in 2017. He also faced a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and murder charge in 2017.
“He was arrested in 2017 and then remained in jail for 8 years. In one case in 2006, he got eight years in prison. While he was inside jail, he was out of action. As soon as he was released (on bail), he abducted and raped another child,” the police source said.
‘Disowned’
Balraj is survived by two brothers and his family had disowned him long ago, the police source said.
“We learned that he misbehaved with the wife of his brother after which his family asked him to leave the house. And since the family was aware of his criminal history, they said they did not want to associate with him,” a second police source said, adding that Balraj had been staying with one Tauseef, also arrested in the 6-year-old’s case for “assisting in the crime”, who he met in jail.
“Tauseef has cases of theft against him as well. Both met in jail and that is how they started living together. Balraj had been staying with him for the last three months,” the source added.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
Also Read: An empty bus, rain & 47 km detour: How a UP teen’s search for a ride ended in gangrape