Guwahati, July 19 -- A 19-year-old girl was allegedly raped and murdered by her former partner in Assam's Bajali district, police said on Friday.

The accused, identified as Arif Ahmed, has been taken into custody.

The victim, Monika Barman, was found dead in a rented room in the Sarupeta area. Preliminary investigation suggests that Ahmed had called the victim out of her house around 4 am on the day of the incident.

An argument reportedly took place, during which Ahmed allegedly assaulted and strangled her.According to police officials, the accused then attempted to stage the scene as a suicide by hanging the victim's body from a ceiling fan.

However, investigators said evidence at the scene contradicted the suicide claim, leading to ...