Srinagar, May 25 -- A 12-year-old girl, who had gone missing in central Kashmir's Budgam district on Saturday, was found dead not far from her home on Sunday morning. Police suspect it to be a case of rape and murder.

Police officials said that the girl was reported missing on Saturday evening after she had left home for religious classes at a village in Budgam.

Police Station Budgam registered an FIR under kidnapping charges and launched a search operation.

Budgam SSP Hariprasad KK said that the searches continued throughout the night. " During the early morning hours today, the body of the minor girl was recovered some 200m from her residence from a plot," he said. All necessary medico-legal and investigative formalities were initiat...