The body of a nine-year-old girl was today recovered from a cashew forest near Gadaharishpur village in Ersama police station area of Odisha's Jagatsinghpur district, police said.
Prima facie, it appears to be a case of rape and murder, a senior police officer said, adding that the girl went missing last night.
"The body was sent for autopsy after its identification by the local people this morning," he said.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed concern over the incident and directed police to nab the culprit at the earliest.
"Patnaik has also announced ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh for the family members of the victims," a press statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office said.
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