A 10-year-old girl was raped and strangled to death by a drunk man in India on Tuesday night.

Authorities said the girl was strangled to death behind a building, and the accused was identified as 40-year-old Shivcharan Soren. The police in the eastern state of Jharkhand said Soren was intoxicated while returning home when he spotted the minor girl. He attacked the girl and dragged her behind a building, and sexually assaulted her before killing her.

“The accused had consumed liquor while returning home. When he reached the local anganwadi centre at Purandihtola around 9 pm, he saw the girl. He dragged the minor behind the building of the anganwadi centre and raped her,” the Times of India quoted police officials as saying.

Local resident spotted the man, nabbed him, and handed him over to police, United News of India reported. During questioning, the accused told the police he put a towel in the minor girl's mouth so that she would not call for help. The girl lost consciousness after which the accused strangled her.

On Wednesday, the accused was sent to jail as the investigation into the rape case was launched. The victim’s body was sent to Jamshedpur’s Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College and Hospital for an autopsy.

In another incident Tuesday, a 4-year-old girl was raped by a 23-year-old man who lived next to her home. The police arrested the accused in the state of Gujarat. The girl was playing with her brother outside their home when she was kidnapped by the man, identified as Bunty Verma. Authorities said the accused was a migrant worker and had moved to a rented room next to the minor girl's residence just a month ago. The girl's family launched a search for her when they couldn't find her. Her brother then informed the parents the minor girl was taken away by Verma. The local residents broke into Verma's house and found the girl bleeding, and the accused sleeping. Authorities said they believe Verma was under the influence of alcohol when he committed the crime.

Indians have protested a series of gang-rape and murders of young women
Indians have protested a series of gang-rape and murders of young women AFP / Punit PARANJPE
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