India, March 20 -- LUCKNOW A 17-year-old girl was brutally murdered and her semi-nude body dumped in Gomti river in Lucknow's Madiaon area, triggering outrage and suspicion of sexual assault.

The victim's uncle, who had taken her out on the pretext of buying medicine, has been arrested and is being interrogated. The teenager, who had lost her parents, lived with her aunt and brother, said police.

They said the girl's aunt had married the accused around one-and-a-half years ago.

On Wednesday night, the man, a painter by profession, returned home and claimed he had fallen from a ladder at work. He told his wife he was going to get medicines and took the girl along with him.

Around 45 minutes later, the accused called the victim's brothe...