The boy strangled the girl after raping her. (Representational)
A 14-year-old boy was arrested for allegedly raping and killing an 8-year-old girl in Raipur, a police officer said on Thursday.
The boy lives in the same building where the minor girl was staying.
Senior police officer Prashant Agarwal said, "A missing complaint on the eight-year-old girl was received on December 7 evening. Acting on the complaint, the police registered a case and started searching for the girl."
"Five days later, the minor girl was found dead at a deserted place just behind the colony where she was living. During the subsequent investigation, the police arrested the accused, also a minor, who lives in the same building where the girl was residing," Mr Agrawal said.
He said the accused raped the girl and strangled her to death, adding that further probe was underway.
Meanwhile, BJP supporters staged a protest in the state capital on Thursday, blaming the government and the police for the incident.
Senior BJP leader Sanjay Shrivastava said, "What was the fault of that 8-year-old girl and her family that she had to lose her life? The government and the police administration are responsible for this incident."
He added, "The entire state has turned into a den of crime. No one is safe in Chhattisgarh today. There is no crime which is not happening in the state today. It took the rape and murder of a minor girl for the police administration to wake up. The police are involvd in illegal actvities in the state and the proceeds are going to the administration."
"The state of Chhattisgarh was conceived by (former Prime Minister) Atal Bihari Vajpayee. But today, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has turned our state into a den of crime.The state Home minister is sleeping. Has he even raised a question on why such incidents are taking place?" Mr Shrivastava said.