Meerut (Uttar Pradesh), Nov 19 (IANS): The 18-year-old girl who had been found dead at a wedding venue in Meerut on Monday night, was killed by her own cousin after she resisted his attempt to rape her.

According to the police, the constable who was found sleeping next to the crime scene and was a suspect, has been given a clean chit.

The police came to this conclusion on the basis of forensic evidence.

Meerut Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Prabhakar Chaudhary told reporters that the accused, Vishal Gupta, 22, is the son of the victim's maternal aunt.

"The accused had requested the girl to click a selfie with him, but she refused. He then asked her to meet him in private saying he wanted to discuss some important matter with her. He then took her to a room which was vacant and attempted to molest her. When she tried to raise an alarm, he gagged her till she fell unconscious and subsequently died," the SSP said.

"The accused initially thought she is unconscious and tried to rape her by removing her clothes, only to find that she was menstruating," the SSP added.

Vishal then ran out of the room, and he was the first person to accuse the constable of murdering the girl and even beat him up.

He was also among the people who took the body to hospital and remained with the family until the cremation.

SSP Prabhakar Chaudhary said the constable, who was found sleeping in the room adjacent to the toilet, is innocent and that he was an invitee. "He slept in the room and never went to the washroom where the body was found lying on the floor. We now have all the evidence to prove that he is not guilty," said the SSP.