According to the police, the victim was playing outside her house on Wednesday when she went missing.
Her family members, along with locals, searched for the girl and later spotted a pack of dogs in a nearby field.
She was later found in the nearby fields, after which police were informed and the child’s identity was confirmed.
A senior police official said rape was confirmed after forensic investigations into the case were completed.
Meanwhile, the family members of the minor expressed suspicion over a young man and held him responsible for the act.
The accused, when detained, confessed to his crime after the police questioned him.
He said he saw the girl wandering on a farm, from where he, along with a minor accomplice, took her to another field and raped her.
They later murdered her and dumped the body in the field, the accused told police.
–IANS
amita/ksk