No CCTV, no witnesses: How police dog Mary helped solve 6-yr-old’s rape case in UP’s Sambhal

The six-year-old girl was kidnapped while she was playing outside her home, and sexually assaulted. Mary has played a key role in cracking dozens of cases, including murders.

The seven year old Dog Mary who cracked the UP sexual assault case| ANI

New Delhi: A seven-year-old Labrador Retriever named Mary solve the blind rape case of a six-year-old child in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal by sniffing out the culprit through a towel left behind.

There were no CCTVs at the crime scene, neither were there any eyewitnesses. When the police brought in Mary, she led them to the accused’s house, 400 metres away from the spot.

“Mary is not the youngest in active duty, but she had something many younger dogs lacked—patience, precision, and an uncanny ability to hold a scent trail even in chaotic urban environments,” said Sambhal Superintendent of Police (SP) Krishna Kumar Bishnoi.

The six-year-old girl was raped on 19 June and was found in the bushes. A police officer said she was kidnapped while she was playing outside her home.

Police and a forensic team reached the location and collected samples, including a ‘Gamcha’ (towel), which turned out to be a crucial piece of evidence.

“The neighbourhood had no CCTV cameras or eyewitnesses to the incident. Although the police questioned the people in the surrounding area, no relevant information was found,” said SP Bishnoi.

With no leads emerging, the police brought in expert police dog Mary.

After smelling the towel, Mary started walking through the narrow lanes and stopped at the door of a house, less than 400 meters away from the site.

“She looked up at her handler. The signal was unmistakable,” the police statement said.

Mary has been working with the Sambhal police since December 2019. “She is a gold medalist of her batch,” said SP Bishnoi.

Over the years, Mary has played a key role in helping the police solve dozens of cases. A few years ago, there was a murder in a jungle in Bilaspur, but body could not be found. It was Mary helped police recover the body.

In another case in UP’s Baniyather, a deaf person was found murdered. Mary solved that case as well.

Police said Mary’s handler will receive a cash prize of Rs 10,000.

(Edited by Harini Ts)