Hojai police arrested a 25-year-old youth for allegedly raping and killing a five-year-old girl from Dariyabasti in Hojai on Thursday.
The youth, arrested in the rape and murder case, has been identified as Bikram Harijan alias Chandan.
Police arrested Bikram Harijan on the basis of circumstantial evidence and statements of eyewitnesses.
The victim had gone missing on Wednesday afternoon.
She was last seen with the accused.
When the girl did not return home, her family members started searching for her.
On Thursday morning, her blood-stained body was found in a jungle area at Dariyabasti.
On being informed a team of Hojai police reached the spot.
Meanwhile, the situation has remained tense in the village.
The villagers have demanded that the culprit be awarded death sentence to ensure justice to the aggrieved family.
The police, however, managed to control the situation.
But, the situation turned grim as the body of the girl reached the police station.
Hundreds of villagers gheraoed the police station and shouted slogans like ‘We want justice’.
Talking to reporters, Jangmir Rongpharpi, the district magistrate said, “As per the law, the culprit will be punished.”
She asked the villagers to have faith in the judiciary.
“We want the culprit to be hanged till death and a clear-cut message should go to the society that such perpetrator of the heinous crime shall not be spared with normal punishment,” said a villager.
The villagers appealed to the district administration to take strict action against the culprit.
The investigation is underway, said police.