6-Year-Old Girl's Blood-Soaked Body Found Dumped In Secluded Area, Family Suspect Rape

A 6-year-old girl, who went missing Sunday afternoon in India, was found dead in a secluded area.

The incident took place in the Baraut village in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. Authorities said the girl's blood-soaked body was found dumped in a vacant plot in the village. The child had stab wounds on the head and injuries on her genitals, following which her family alleged she was raped and killed, The Times of India reported.

The minor was playing outside her house when she went missing, the police said. Her family began searching for her and when they could not locate her, they informed the police.

"A local youth informed us that her body was lying on a vacant plot in the village. We immediately informed the police. My daughter was raped before being killed," the victim's father told The Indian Express.

Authorities said the body of the victim has been sent for an autopsy to confirm rape and the cause of death. The police launched an investigation into the incident, and several people were detained and questioned in connection to the crime.

"We have detained a couple of people, including the person who informed the family... We have deployed the forensic team and a dog squad to gather evidence from the spot," Ajay Sharma, a senior police officer told The Times of India.

The police have also arrested one of the victim’s neighbors, identified as Sandeep Kumar. He has been booked under sections of kidnapping, murder, rape and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act.

Despite several strict laws in the country against rape and crime against women, such incidents have been on the rise for years.

In a recent incident, a 9-month-old baby girl was allegedly raped by her neighbor after he took her to his house on the pretext of playing with her. The assault took place in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr city. When the victim's family went to the accused's home, they found the baby girl lying in a pool of blood. The child was rushed to a nearby hospital where she received treatment, but she was said to be in a critical condition at the time.