RAWALPINDI, May 3: A seven-year-old girl was strangled by her cousin who tried to molest her in the jurisdiction of Ganjmandi area on Wednesday, police said.

Mohammad Sharif, a vendor, told Ganjmandi police that his wife, who was blind, was sleeping with his daughter, Shamim, in their hut when he heard the girl’s screams in the early hours of Wednesday.

Mr Sharif said he rushed to the hut of Sultan Mohammad from where his daughter’s screams were coming. When he entered, he saw Shamin naked. He caught hold of Sultan but he managed to escape.

Later, the police captured Sultan who confessed to having killed the girl.

Quoting the accused, the police said he went inside Shamim’s hut where she was sleeping with her mother and took her to his place where he tried to molest her. But when she started screaming, he strangled the girl.

The police also seized a 30-bore pistol from the accused.