JAISALMER: A six-year-old girl was allegedly kidnapped, raped and murdered by a 40-year-old man in

’s Girab area late on Thursday. The accused was arrested on Friday.

Barmer SP Gagandeep Singla said the girl — who belonged to a Scheduled Caste — had come to her maternal grandparents’ house and was sleeping beside her grandfather when the accused Raees Khan kidnapped her. He took her to an abandoned place, raped and strangulated her before dumping the body in a water tank.

While the child’s kin was looking for her, Khan acted suspiciously, said sources. The body was finally found in the water tank on Friday morning and cops were informed, who retrieved it. Following this, the family filed a police complaint against Khan, who was arrested. During questioning, Khan confessed to the crime and told cops he had killed the child due to fear of getting caught.

As the news spread, tension prevailed in the area with hundreds of residents gathering in protest against the crime. Senior police officers reached the spot to tackle the situation.