A 12-year-old boy has been detained by the police on charges of rape and murder of a five-year-old girl in tribal inhabitated Tonto area in Jharkhand's West Singhbhum district.

The boy, a neighbour, strangulated the girl after allegedly raping her last Saturday, Officer-in-Charge of Tonto police station, Albert Toppo said.

The body of the girl was found yesterday from a bush, Toppo said.

The boy was detained and would be produced before the juvenile court, he added.