The Class 6 student was reported missing on March 13 and her body and the severed head were found the next day in an agricultural field outside Berkhedi village in MP. (Picture for representation)

Police claimed to have solved the case of rape and beheading of a 12-old-year Dalit girl in Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar district and charged her three brothers, uncle and aunt for the crime. Four of the accused have been arrested and one is absconding, officials said. One of the accused is a minor, they added.

The Class 6 student was reported missing on March 13 and her body and the severed head were found the next day in an agricultural field outside Berkhedi village of the district. The police initially declared a reward of Rs 10,000, which was increased to Rs 25,000 for information regarding the accused.

Sagar’s superintendent of police Amit Sanghi all the men were involved in raping the girl and when she threatened to tell the police, they strangled her to death and chopped off her head and dumped the body.

The girl’s aunt knew about the incident but misled the police by accusing a neighbour for the crime.

The police questioned the neighbour named by the girl’s aunt but he turned out to be innocent. They received a tip-off that the victim’s elder brother, who is around 20 years old, might be involved in the crime.

Sanghi said since the elder brother was absconding, they questioned the younger one, who is around 19 years old, and that he confessed to the crime.

“It appears the elder brother had raped the victim earlier also. On that day everyone was out for work except the elder brother and taking advantage of this he raped his sister,” Sanghi said.

“While in the act, the other two brothers, including the minor, came and they both raped her. Meanwhile, the girl’s uncle, who is in his late forties, also came by. Initially, he scolded everyone and then he too raped her,” he said.