India, Feb. 18 -- A seven-year-old girl was raped and murdered by her neighbour in Andhra Pradesh's Madanapalle, officials said. The case came to light when police recovered the girl's body from the man's house on Tuesday.

Kurnool Range DIG K Praveen said the girl's family lodged a complaint after she went missing at around 4 pm on Monday.

"The cause of death is drowning, and there are signs of sexual assault. The accused killed the girl and concealed her body in a drum inside his house," Praveen told PTI.

The suspect, who lives opposite the victim's house, was identified after CCTV footage confirmed the crime, leading police to launch a thorough investigation.

The incident sparked high tension in the locality, with a large crowd gath...