Tirupati: A five year old girl was murdered by her uncle near Tiruchanoor in Tirupati rural mandal of Chittoor district late on Monday night.

The Tiruchanoor police received a complaint from Penchal and Malleswari Reddy that their daughter Lakshmi Priya Reddy had been kidnapped while she was returning from school in the evening.

The parents suspected Sreenivasulu Reddy, the girl’s maternal uncle, following which, the cops took him into custody near Renigunta on Monday evening.

He confessed that he had drowned the girl and buried her next to a pond near Vikrutamala village in Renigunta mandal.

He had allegedly lent some money to the girl’s father and the duo had several altercations over the delay in clearing the debt. Police on Tuesday morning took Sreenivasulu to the spot where he had buried the girl. The body was retrieved and sent for autopsy.

Meanwhile, enraged family members and locals set Sreenivasulu’s house on fire. Tiruchanoor cops also took into custody one Leela Prakash who helped Sreenivasulu Reddy in kidnapping the little girl and have registered a case.

Sreenivasulu Reddy allegedly lent some money to his brother-in-law Penchal Reddy and the duo had several altercations over the delay in returning the money.

Sreenivasulu Reddy who held a grudge with his sister's family kidnapped their only girl child and brutally killed her.

Meanwhile, the police on Tuesday morning took Sreenivasulu Reddy to the spot where he buried the little girl and retrieved the body and sent the body for autopsy at the SVRR government hospital in Tirupati.

Enraged, relatives of the deceased girl and locals of Tiruchanoor, set fire to the residence of Sreenivasulu Reddy near Papanaidupeta on Tuesday.

Tiruchanoor cops also took into custody one Leela Prakash who helped Sreenivasulu Reddy in kidnapping the little girl and have registered a case.

Sreenivasulu had allegedly lent some money to the girl’sfather and duo had several altercations over the delay in returning the money.

The girl’s body was retrieved and sent for autopsy. Enraged family members and locals set Sreenivasulu’s house on fire.