A 17-year-old boy was arrested on Sunday in Salem for allegedly killing a six-year-old girl while trying to rape her.

Kolathur Police told The New Indian Express that fisherman Raja of Teluganur in Salem district lived with his two daughters — one eight years old and the other aged six.

On Saturday evening, the younger girl was playing with her friends, but did not return home. Her parents searched for her, but in vain. Her friends told them that she was taken by a 17-year-old boy living near his house.

When her parents quizzed Gurumoorthy, he denied the allegations. On Sunday morning, Raja lodged a complaint with Kolathur Police who searched Gurumoorthy’s house and found the girl’s body in a huge vessel. There were injuries on the girl’s face and her stomach was cut with a blade. Police sent the body to Mettur Government Hospital for autopsy.

After police nabbed Gurumoorthy on Sunday afternoon, he allegedly confessed that he tried to rape the girl, but she raised an alarm and in fear he strangulated her. He said he used a blade to cut the girl’s stomach. After that, he put the girl’s body in the vessel. Police have begun a probe.

On Saturday, his grandfather went out for some work and the accused was alone at home. Sensing the opportunity, he gave chocolates to the girl and brought her to his house. Police were quizzing the boy to find out if any other person was involved. “Only after the postmortem report we can say whether she was raped or not,” police said.