An eight-year-old girl was allegedly killed by her neighbour in north Delhi's Narela area, police said on Saturday.
The police ruled out any sexual assault angle in the case and attributed the murder to the strained relationship the victim's brother had with the accused. The accused and the victim's family lived side by side.
The police received information regarding the girl's disappearance around 10 pm on Friday. She was traced after analysing CCTV footage of the main road around 150 metres from her house, a senior officer said.
The accused was tracked down around 11.30 pm and taken into police custody, he said.
While he tried to mislead the police initially, the accused disclosed upon cross-verification and sustained interrogation that he had a strained relationship with the victim's brother, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer North) Devesh Kumar Mahla said.
He killed the victim around a kilometre from her home to take revenge against her brother. The body has been recovered and the spot inspected by crime and forensic teams, the police said.
The victim's post-mortem revealed strangulation and skull fractures and there were no visible signs of sexual assault, they added.
The police registered a case under Section 363 (kidnapping) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) based on the missing complaint. Later, Section 302 (murder) of the IPC was added and the accused arrested, Mahla said.
Delhi Man Celebrating Diwali Shot Dead In Front Of Son. Gunman Hired By Teen Delhi Man, Teen Stopped By Minors Over Rash Riding, Stabbed To Death Pregnant Delhi Teen Killed, Buried By Boyfriend Over Marriage Pressure Trump Hints At Constitution-Breaking 3rd Term As President. Details Here Delhi Engulfed In Blanket Of Smog For 2nd Consecutive Day, AQI At 432 Major Social Media Crackdown In Andhra, 100 Cases Filed, 39 Arrested Baba Siddique Shooter Waited Near Hospital For 30 Minutes To Confirm Death Major Social Media Crackdown In Andhra, 100 Cases Filed, 39 Arrested UK-Based Russian Chef Who Criticised Putin Found Dead In Serbia Hotel Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.