11-year-old girl found murdered, buried in wheat field in Kanpur, neighbor detained

The body of an 11‑year‑old girl who had been reported missing on Monday was found buried in a wheat field near her home in Bidhnu village on Tuesday, police said, igniting outrage and fear in the locality. The girl’s family has accused a neighbour of sexually assaulting and killing her, and he has been detained for questioning , authorities added.

The Class‑5 student had gone to graze goats with her elder sister on Monday afternoon. Her sister briefly returned home, and when she went back to the field the girl was missing, prompting a frantic search by family members and villagers. A missing person’s complaint was lodged at the Bidhnu police station, but overnight efforts failed to locate her.

On Tuesday morning, relatives noticed freshly disturbed soil in a wheat field about 500 metres from the house. Upon digging, they uncovered her body, found unclothed and with injury marks , officials said. Early indications suggest she was sexually assaulted and strangled, though final confirmation awaits formal post‑mortem results.

Police have preserved forensic evidence , including DNA and nail scrapings, and recovered mud‑stained clothes from the detained neighbour’s house for analysis. Tension rose in the village after the discovery, with residents briefly blocking police from taking the body for post‑mortem, demanding swift justice .

Senior officers, including DCP (South) Deependra Chowdry, have been assigned to the case. ACP (Law and Order) Vipin Tada said critical evidence has been collected and the investigation is ongoing.