11-Year-Old Girl Allegedly Raped Before Being Killed With Sharp Object

The corpse of an 11-year-old girl, who had been missing for a day in India, was found on a farm near her house. The police said they suspect the girl was raped before being killed with a sharp object.

The girl was found dead in Bareilly district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, media outlet ABP Live reported [Google Translation showed].

The girl had left home on a cycle Saturday morning to look after her family' fields. When she did not return, a search was launched by her family and the authorities. In the evening, her cycle and clothes were found close to her house, Press Trust of India (PTI) reported.

The police suspect a sharp-edged weapon was used to kill her after she was sexually assaulted. The girl often went to the fields to look after the crops, her family members told the police. The farm where the body was found was filled with water, which was why her clothes were covered with mud. The police said that the girl had sustained a head injury. However, the cause of death was not known. The victim's body has been sent for an autopsy, PTI reported.

Preliminary investigation led to the arrest of six people. Authorities said the suspects were being questioned in connection to the case. However, no official charges have been filed so far.

Senior police officer Rajkumar Agarwal said the police suspect some acquaintance might have committed the crime. An investigation is currently underway into the incident.

This incident comes a few days after a 16-year-old girl was found hanging from a tree with her right eye gouged out in the state of Jharkhand. The girl's family alleged she was raped before being killed. The police said the girl had left her house, and when she did not return, her family filed a missing report. Preliminary investigation showed the girl was mercilessly beaten and her right eye was gouged out before she was killed. Her body was later hung from a tree using a cloth. "The police is investigating the matter from all possible angles," senior police officer Sanjeev Kumar said at the time, adding they believe the victim was with a man. "The victim's family was strongly opposed to it. There is information about a heated exchange of words and scuffle between the family and the victim a few days back, after which the victim went missing," he added.