The girl's body was found just 300 metres away from her residence, police said. (Representational image)
The dead body of a four-year-old girl was found with her hands missing near her home in Bhiwandi town in Thane, Maharashtra, police said today.
The girl, a resident of Gautam Nagar, had been missing since Tuesday evening, said a police officer.
The girl had left her house along with her brother to play at a ground near her house. While her brother returned home, she continued playing with other kids, said senior inspector V D Bhise of Bhoiwada under the Bhiwandi police division.
After she did not return home till late evening, her parents went looking for her. Her parents later approached the police, he said.
On Wednesday evening, the girl's body with her hands missing was found lying in bushes just 300 metres away from her residence, the police said.
The girl also had injury mark on the back of her neck, they said, adding the body has been sent for post-mortem examination.
The motive of the murder was not yet known, Mr Bhise said, adding only a probe will ascertain if it was a case of child sacrifice.
(with inputs from PTI)