Dhenkanal, Jan. 27: Bhuban police have arrested 22-year-old Sibannada Pradhan, a resident of a village in Maluagada, on charges of raping and murdering a nine-year-old girl.

Yesterday, Pradhan was produced in court and remanded in judicialcustody. The incident took place on Sunday night.

The police said the victim was subjected to torture in her private parts before being murdered. There were multiple injury marks on her body. Her family members had buried the girl's body without informing the police as the accused had allegedly threatened them with dire consequence if they dared to reveal the matter to anybody.

The father of the deceased is ill, while the girl's mother works as a daily wage earner.

Acting on a tip-off, Dhenkanal superintendent of police Nikhil Kanodia rushed to the village on Monday night. The police started a case to investigate the incident after the deceased's mother had lodged an FIR. Yesterday, the victim's body was retrieved from the burial ground and the cops arrested the culprit.

In her FIR, the deceased's mother said her daughter had gone to a neighbour's house to watch TV on Sunday night. She was last seen there before going missing. The next day her body was found lying in a field at the village.

"Pradhan was arrested from his house. He confessed that he had first raped the girl, and later killed her, fearing that she might disclose his identity. He was under the influence of alcohol when he committed the crime," said inspector in charge of Bhuban police station G.C. Prusty.