wo suspects from the same caste have been detained after the girl’s father alleged they were involved in the crime. (Representational Image)
The body of a six-year-old Dalit girl, who had been missing since Monday evening, was found in a sugarcane field at a village in Hardoi district of Uttar Pradesh Tuesday morning, police said.
Police said she had been raped and murdered as her body had injury marks and blood on private parts. Two suspects from the same caste have been detained after the girl’s father alleged they were involved in the crime, they said. “The girl stepped out around 5.30 pm Monday, but did not return. Later, he family started looking for her, but did not inform police. We were informed today that a girl’s body was found in a sugarcane field in the village,” said SP, Hardoi, Vipin Kumar Mishra.
On reaching the village, a police team found the body. SO, Pihani police station, Shyam Babu Shukla said the injuries indicated that she was sexually assaulted before being killed. “The cause of death could not be ascertained. We are waiting for the postmortem report,” he added.
An FIR has been lodged under IPC sections for murder, gangrape and causing disappearance of evidence and under the POCSO Act.