Ghaziabad, Jan. 13 -- The father and stepmother of a seven-year-old girl have been detained in Ghaziabad for allegedly beating the child to death at their home in the Dasna area on Sunday, police said on Monday.

Police said the couple has "confessed" to assaulting the girl but have not been formally arrested or charged, as they are still waiting for the child's autopsy report and a formal complaint from her maternal family.

"They accepted that they both beat her up severely, and the injuries on the body of the girl appear to confirm this. An investigation is underway, and legal action will be initiated once a formal complaint is received," saidassistant commissioner of police (Wave City circle) Priyashri Pal.

The incident occurred unde...