Her body was recovered from bushes in a remote area near her village Khetadi. Liquor bottles, snacks and bloodstains were also found at the spot, police officials said.

According to police, there was a sports competition at the girl's school on Saturday and she went missing after it ended.

Her family started searching for her when she did not reach home by 3 p.m. but it was only her blood-stained body that was found near the village this morning.

Protesting the heinous crime, a huge crowd gathered at the spot, as police and forensic teams arrived on being informed about the body's discovery.

The body of the girl was taken elsewhere for a post-mortem as required facilities were unavailable in the village.

Superintendent of Police Adarsh Sidhu said that prime facie, it is a rape and murder case. "We are investigating the case to trace the accused. We have formed special teams," he added.