Patna, Nov 13 (IANS): An eight-year-old girl was allegedly raped and murdered in Bihar’s Begusarai district on Monday morning.

Following the incident, local villagers blocked NH 55 and demanded immediate arrest of the accused.

The police said the victim went to a nearby park to bring banana leaves for Govardhan Puja. Her dead body was found in a semi-naked position near banana trees. The victim had come to her granny house for Diwali. The village comes under Mufassil police station.

The preliminary investigation revealed that the accused might have intercepted her after seeing her alone and brutalised her. "We have found the victim’s under garment from the spot. After committing the crime, the accused strangulated her,” said an officer of Mufassil police station.

“We have called the FSL team to collect the evidence. An FIR has been registered under murder and POCSO Act against unknown person. The matter is under investigation,” he said.