Idukki: A 22-year-old man accused for raping and killing a six-year-old girl in Idukki was assaulted by the locals here on Sunday during evidence collection.
Arjun was arrested on Monday for allegedly raping and killing his neighbour at Churukkulam estate in Kerala's Idukki district recently.
Though a huge police force were deployed during the evidence collection, the locals managed to thrash Arjun.
The girl was found hanging inside her house on June 30 when her parents went out for work in a nearby plantation.
Police had earlier registered a case of unnatural death but the autopsy report confirmed that the child was raped before she was hanged.
"It seems like he had raped her many times in the past. However, on June 30, the child fell unconscious during his rape attempt and thinking that she was dead, he hanged her," police told .
Police said Arjun was there to help the family when the last rites of the child were being performed and was seen to be emotional too.
