UP: 4-yr-old girl found dead in paddy field

A four-year-old girl, who had been reported missing, has been found dead in the Gonda area, police said on Tuesday.

The girl's body was recovered on Monday, about 50 meters from her house in a paddy field.

The girl's family alleged that she was sexually assaulted as her legs were tied with a rope.

The girl was playing outside the house before she disappeared on Sunday evening.

The family searched for her but could not locate her. The police were informed, but she could not be traced.

Her body was found in a paddy field on Monday.

Circle officer (Iglas) Ashok Kumar said the post-mortem report revealed asphyxia due to drowning, as the cause of death. He said a vaginal swab had been sent to the lab for testing. "Viscera has also been preserved for testing," he said.

He said that IPC section 302 (murder) had been added in the FIR and further sections would be added if anything was found in the forensic report.