Bhubaneswar: A five-year-old girl was allegedly raped and subsequently killed by slitting her throat in a slum in Bhubaneswar, police said on Tuesday. The incident took place in Kela Sahi in the Sundarpada area under the jurisdiction of Airfield Police Station on Monday evening when the girl was alone at her house.

The accused, also a resident of the slum, entered the house, allegedly committed the crime, and fled the spot, a police officer said.

In the police complaint, the girl's parents said that after returning from work, they could not find the girl at home and after a frantic search, found her body under the bed.

A nearby shop owner claimed that the girl, along with the accused, had come to his shop to buy chocolate. He said other people also saw the accused enter and exit her house.

Airfield Police Station officer-in-charge Ashok Nayak said a special squad has launched a manhunt to nab the accused.

Nayak said the preliminary probe indicates that the accused was alone in committing the crime.

The body was sent for post-mortem examination and a scientific team will collect evidence from the spot, he added.