The body of the girl was found near Negimuda nullah under Dabhra police station limits on January 1 and since then efforts was on to trace the killer, Janjgir-Champa Additional Superintendent of Police Vijay Agrawal said.
On the basis of probe, the accused Sanjay Kumar was nabbed yesterday from his native place Parsdih village, he said.
During interrogation, Sanjay admitted to police that he killed the girl after failing to rape her, the officer said.
On January 1, the accused had attempted to rape the girl while she was alone on way to her village Churteli. When she raised an alarm, he strangulated the girl with her dupatta (veil) and fled from the spot, the ASP said.