A 10-year-old girl, who had gone to her neighbour’s house to watch television, was found dead in Biratnagar on Sunday.

Body of Rupmati Das, alias Gudiya, of Baluwai-10 in Biratnagar Metropolis was recovered from the bank of Singhya River, police said.

Family members said Gudiya had gone to their neighbour Mohammad Mema’s house on Saturday evening to watch television but did not return home that night.

Gudiya’s father Ram Prasad said they assumed that she had stayed over at Mema’s house after she did not return home that night.

She often used to visit Mema’s house, and sometimes stayed over there as well, said Manidevi, Gudiya’s mother.

But the family started looking for her after she did not return home on Sunday morning. The search, unfortunately, led to the discovery of Gudiya’s body in the river bank. The girl was found naked with blood oozing out of her mouth, eyewitnesses said.

Chief of Morang Police SP Manoj KC said they have formed a team to investigate into the case.    

The body was taken to BP Koirala Institute of Health Science in Dharan for autopsy.