8-year-old sexually molested, killed and thrown into canal in Andhra Pradesh, school seniors confess to ’gangrape’

Three minor boys allegedly molested and murdered an eight-year-old girl, and dumped her body into the Mucchumarri Lift Irrigation canal in Andhra Pradesh's Nandyala. Police said the incident happened around 5 pm on Sunday when the girl was playing in a park.

The incident came to light when police took the accused into custody on Wednesday, the Times of India reported. "They (boys) molested and pushed her into the canal...They were all from Mucchumarri village and everybody knew each other," Nandyal district superintendent of police K Raghuveera Reddy told PTI.

The official said two of the accused are 15 years old, while the other one is 12 years old.

While police have apprehended the boys, they are yet to find the victim's body.

Reddy said that it cannot be ascertained whether the girl was raped until her body is found. According to the SP, a National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team arrived on Thursday to search for the body.

What happened exactly?

The victim, an 8-year-old girl, had reportedly gone to play in a local park with her friends on Sunday from her residence in Old Muchumurri. When she did not come back home in the evening, her parents lodged a complaint with the police.

Police launched a search operation for her but couldn't find her. They also pressed a dog squad into action. The TOI reported that the dog provided police with clues that led them to three minor boys. The boys were then taken into custody after the initial probe.

'Minors confessed to raping the girl'

As per the report, the minors allegedly confessed to raping and killing the eight-year-old girl. They reportedly told police that they pushed the girl's body into an irrigation canal to hide their crime.

The accused also explained how they committed the crime. They reportedly said they found the girl playing near a local park. Since the girl recognized them, the three boys allegedly persuaded her to come to play with them.

They allegedly "gagged" the girl and took turns to "rape" her, the TOI reported. Fearing that the girl would tell her parents about the incident, the trio killed her and pushed her body into the nearby canal and fled the spot.

Police are yet to trace the body of the girl.