Berhampur, Jan. 16: Police arrested a man yesterday for allegedly slitting the throat of an eight-year-old girl and sucking her blood.

Although the cops are yet to establish the motive behind the incident, the girls' neighbours said U. Bairagi, a 35-year-old fisherman, had a feud with the victim's father.

The victim a Class III student, was admitted to Chatrapur Hospital before being shifted to MKCG Medical College and Hospital here. She was shifted to AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, today after her condition worsened.

"We arrested Bairagi and forwarded him to court today after the girl's father, Chinneya, lodged an FIR with us. We have registered a case under sections 341, 326 and 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code," said Arjipalli Marine police station inspector-in-charge Namita Naik.

The cops are still trying to ascertain the reason behind the attack and have recorded statements of some witnesses.

"Bairagi is mentally sound. He is married with three children and regularly goes out to sea to fish. He has been tight-lipped about the reason so far," Naik said.

According to witnesses, the incident occurred at 3pm yesterday when the girl was playing near the Marine police station, about a kilometre away from Bada Arjipalli village, with five other kids. Bairagi went there and asked them to identify Chinneya's daughter.

When the girl identified herself, Bairagi forcibly took her to the nearby beach where he cut her throat with a sharp blade and sucked her blood. Some fishermen rescued the girl after her friends asked them for help.

Bairagi tried to escape, but the fishermen overpowered him and handed him over to the cops. Gopalpur Port Dock Workers' Union president G. Ereya said Chinneya had beaten up Bairagi about a fortnight ago after he had allegedly killed his goat.

"This might have been an act of retaliation from Bairagi," he said.

Bairagi has two sons and a daughter.