MP: Man held for rape and murder of his minor cousin

A five-year-old girl was allegedly raped and killed by her 20-year-old cousin in Katangi town, around 40 kms from Jabalpur district headquarter, the police said today.

The accused, identified as Anand Kushwaha, had dumped the body of the minor in an under-construction septic tank near his house in the town, according to police.

The incident came to light after the minor girl's father approached the police this morning with a complaint that his daughter had been missing since last evening, said Katangi Sub-Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) Bhavana Maravi.

During investigation, police came to know that the girl was last seen with Kushwaha, who lives near the house of the girl, the officer said.

Maravi said the police spotted blood stains on the bed in the house of Kushwaha during search.

"During interrogation, the accused confessed to the crime. However, he tried to mislead the police by saying that he had thrown the girl's body in the Hirni river outside the village. He later said that he had dumped the body in the under-construction septic tank," Maravi said.

The officer said Kushwaha took the girl to his house at around 5 PM yesterday, when his family members were away.

Since he is the son of the paternal uncle of the girl, nobody in her family objected him.

"After taking her home, Kushwaha allegedly raped her and throttled her when she started screaming," she said.

Kushwaha has been arrested under various sections of the IPC including murder and rape besides under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.