This is the chilling moment a man is caught on CCTV leading a six-year-old girl down a dark street before brutally raping and murdering her.
The girl’s body was discovered in a wooded area in Gwalior, India, after she was snatched from a nearby wedding she had been taken to by her parents.
According to police, her face was badly mutilated having been smashed in with a large rock.
CCTV footage shows the man luring the girl with something and taking her down a deserted street at around 11.30pm on Thursday.
The man and the girl were caught on CCTV as he led her away through the dark deserted streets
The pair can be seen walking side-by-side, before the girl tries to make a break for it and escape.
But after he calls down the street towards her, she turns around and they walk off into the distance.
The man was later caught on the same camera returning alone at around 2:30am.
On seeing the child missing from the marriage venue, the parents raised an alarm after which police started searching for the girl.
After searching for several hours they recovered the body of the child in a field just 500 metres away from the wedding venue.
Police have arrested a suspect based on the CCTV footage who is said to be a member of the catering team hired for the marriage function.
The girl, 6, can be seen following closely behind him as he ushers her away from the wedding she had been at with her parents
The man was then caught on the same CCTV camera returning down the street alone at 2.30am
An investigation is still underway and the suspect is being questioned for his role in the crime.
The post-mortem report suggested sexual assault and the face was said to have been badly mutilated by a large stone.
Dharmraj Meena, the Senior Superintendent of Police of Gwalior, said: ‘Our team reached the spot along with the forensic experts, after seeing the crime scene it is quite clear that the child had undergone a brutal sexual assault.
‘The criminal had used a big stone to smash her face and kill her. We have started an investigation and the culprit will be apprehended soon.
‘Right now we have zeroed in on one person who is a part of the catering team, we are questioning him for further leads.’
After a lengthy search police in Gwalior discovered her body in a wooded area near the wedding venue
The post-mortem report suggested sexual assault and the face was said to have been badly mutilated by a large stone