An eight-year-old girl in the Indian state of Andhya Pradesh was brutally gang raped and murder. The perpetrators were three minor school seniors. After the assault, they dumped the girl’s body in a canal in an attempt to destroy evidence, according to the police.

The victim was a Class 3 student. Two of the accused boys were 12 years old and studying in the sixth standard, while the third boy was 13 and in Class 7.

The incident took place on Sunday in the village of Pagidyala. However, the crime only came to light on Wednesday after the police arrested the suspects.

The girl’s father had filed a missing person report on Sunday, stating that his daughter had disappeared while playing in the park. Despite extensive searches in Muchumarri Park and questioning of locals, the police were unable to locate the girl initially. They then used a sniffer dog to aid the investigation.

The dog’s clues led the police to the homes of the three minor boys. After an initial investigation, the boys were taken into custody.

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During questioning, the boys reportedly confessed to raping and murdering the young girl. According to their statement, they had noticed the girl playing near Muchumarri Park, invited her to join them for a game, and then took her to a secluded area near the local irrigation project, where they assaulted her in turn.

Fearing the consequences if the girl reported the assault to her parents, the boys decided to kill her. They later dumped her body in a nearby canal and fled the scene.