India, June 9 -- In a gruesome murder that unfolded on Saturday evening, a nine-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted and murdered by her 30-year-old neighbour at his house near Dayalpur in northeast Delhi, after which he stuffed her body in a suitcase to hide it, police officers said on Sunday.

The accused went absconding shortly after the girl's family started searching for her. Police have identified him and have initiated a search, officers said.

The grisly crime led to widespread outrage in the area, with the family members of the girl and locals staging a protest. Security personnel were deployed in the area to ensure law and order, officers said.

According to police and the family members, the girl, a Class 5 student at...