In a shocking incident, an infant girl was beheaded with an axe and burnt by a labourer in Nagaur district of Rajasthan yesterday.

The one-and-a-half-year-old girl was playing with her grandmother in Peehwa village when the accused. Dwarka (25), took her outside the house and beheaded her, Nagaur Superintendent of Police Laxman Gaur said.

Since the accused was known to the elderly woman, she did not object when he took the girl outside but moments later he killed the girl and ran away with the body.

At some distance near a farm, he covered the body parts with dry sticks and set them ablaze.

"The accused was caught by the villagers, who thrashed him badly," the SP said, adding that the motive behind the crime was still not clear.

"We conducted a medical examination of the accused to determine whether he made any sexual assault on the girl but initial reports have not confirmed it.

"However, a detailed report is awaited," he said.

Meanwhile, Rural Development and Panchayti Raj Minister Gulab Chand Kataria informed the Assembly about the incident and gave a clean chit to the police in the case.

(NDTV)