The accused have been sent to two days' of police custody (Representational)
A six-year-old girl was allegedly raped, killed and then burnt alive at a village in Punjab's Tanda, the police said on Thursday. Surpreet Singh and his grandfather Surjit Singh, both residents of Punjab's Jalalpur village, have been arrested on charges of rape, murder and causing disappearance of evidence after the girl's half-burnt body was found near their cattle shed on Wednesday, they said.
The girl's father, a migrant labourer from Bihar, had filed a police complaint accusing Surpreet Singh of taking his daughter from their home on the pretext of giving her biscuits on Wednesday afternoon, after which she did not return.
Late in the evening her half-burnt body was found from the haveli of Surjit Singh, a commission agent of the village.
Tanda police have registered an FIR in the case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code for rape, murder and causing disappearance of evidence and the POCSO Act.
The two accused have been sent to two days' of police custody after being produced before a court.
The Punjab State Scheduled Castes Commission has, on its own, taken notice of the alleged rape of the six-year-old girl, who was later burnt alive.
Tejinder Kaur, chairperson of the commission, said that the shocking incident had come to her knowledge through media reports.
The commission has sought a detailed report from Hoshiarpur's Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) by October 26 and has also ordered that stern and prompt action be taken against the culprits.
Mr Kaur directed a member of the commission to vist the girl's family to assess the ground reality and submit a report.