11-Year-Old Girl Allegedly Raped While Out Grazing Livestock; Mutilated Body Found Near Bush

An 11-year-old girl, whose mutilated body was found near a bush, was allegedly sexually assaulted before being killed, the police said Monday.

The horrific incident took place in the western Indian state of Rajasthan. The police said they were informed about a missing girl from Badi Hokra village. The victim had gone out to graze livestock Monday, but did not return home, following which the family members launched a search for her, Times Now reported. Her corpse was later found near the bush close to a temple.

The police said the man who committed the crime thrashed the girl's body with heavy stones and an ax before dumping her. The girl's mutilated body was sent to a nearby hospital for autopsy.

Authorities added the accused was yet to be identified and arrested. A search was currently underway for the culprit. Few people have also been taken into police custody for questioning, News 18 reported.

Local residents of the area have demanded if the accused is not caught in the next 24 hours, they will begin a protest.

The incident comes as India continues to witness several cases of abuse against women. The country recorded 88 rape cases every day in 2019, according to a National Crime Records Bureau report released last year.

Last week, the body of an 11-year-old girl, who had been missing for a day, was found on a farm near her house. The police said they suspect the girl was raped before being killed with a sharp object. The incident took place in Bareilly district in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Authorities suspect a sharp-edged weapon was used to kill her after she was sexually assaulted.

In another incident of a heinous crime against women, a 16-year-old girl was found hanging from a tree with her one eye gouged out in the state of Jharkhand. The girl's family alleged she was raped before being killed. The police said the girl had left her house, and when she did not return, her family filed a missing report. Preliminary investigation revealed the girl was mercilessly beaten and her right eye was gouged out before she was killed.