A 15-year-old girl, who went missing on Tuesday, was found dead in a DJB valve room at a canal near her residence in outer Delhi's Bawana area.
According to police, prima facie the girl died of drowning and the body had to be fished out. There were no external injuries and her clothes were intact.
An inquiry has been initiated into the matter, DCP (Outer) Vikramjit Singh said. The girl was reported missing after she did not return home from her tuition classes on Tuesday evening. Her body was spotted in the canal around 3 pm on Wednesday, an official said.
There are stairs leading to the Delhi Jal Board valve room where her body was found and people often go there to wash clothes or defecate. The girl's parents, both labourers, live in a slum nearby.
Her relatives told police that they suspect a local youth, who had allegedly been harassing the girl, had sexually assaulted and killed her.
"We are looking into the matter from all possible angles," the official said, ruling out rumours that the girl's limbs were found tied with a rope and adding that her body has been sent for postmortem.
