6-year-old girl found raped, murdered in Punjab's Jalandhar 

CHANDIGARH: A six-year-old girl, who went missing on Saturday evening, was allegedly raped and then killed in Punjab's Jalandhar district, police said.

Her body was found from a sugarcane field in Hazara village located on the Jalandhar-Hoshiarpur road on Sunday, they said.

The victim's parents, who belong to Bihar and work as labourers, on Saturday lodged a complaint about their missing child after they failed to find her home when they returned from work.

Santosh, who stays near their home and is a distant relative of victim's family, told them that he took her on a bicycle to get biscuits and later left her back at home.

When the girl's parents started searching her in nearby areas, Santosh absconded, said the police.

Later, the family lodged a complaint against Santosh, said a police official.

The girl's body found on Sunday, said the official.

Initial investigations suggest that the girl was raped and then killed.

The body has been sent for post mortem, said the police.

A case of kidnapping, rape and murder under the IPC and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act has been registered, the police said, adding that efforts were on to nab Santosh.