The girl’s body was found in a rubber estate in Kulathupuzha village of Kollam district, about 61 km north of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala.

“The body was found today in a rubber estate and has been sent for post-mortem,” a police official said.

Locals said the girl went missing Wednesday after she left for school in the morning.

Police have taken a girl’s relative into custody.

Reports said during interrogation, he has confessed raping the girl and strangling her to death.

“Investigation is underway in the case,” the police official said.

Sexual attacks on women and girls in India puts a question mark on the security situation and efficiency of police force in the country.

In December 2002 a fatal gang-rape of a medical student in New Delhi brought spotlight on crimes against women in the country.

The incident saw huge protests and resulted in new anti-rape laws in the country. However, brutal sexual attacks against women continue to be reported across India.