Mangaluru : The Mangaluru city police on Wednesday arrested a 51-year-old man in connection with the murder of a 14-year-old girl in Jokatte on Tuesday.

The Panambur police gave the name of the accused as Fakirappa Hanumappa Madar, a native of Parasgad in Belagavi district. He was close to the victim’s uncle and stayed close to the latter’s house in Jokatte.

The victim, a resident of Belagavi, was a student of class 7 in a government residential school in Mangaluru. Recently, she had fallen in the school and had gone to her hometown for treatment.

Her mother dropped her off at her uncle’s house in Jokatte on August 1 and the victim was scheduled to join school after celebrating Nagara Panchami on August 9.

On Tuesday morning, Fakriappa came to the house when the victim was alone. The victim’s uncle, a labourer, had gone out for work and his 14-year-old son had gone to school, said the police.

The police said Fakirappa tried to sexually assault the girl. When she resisted, Fakirappa smothered her to death and hanged her.

The police said it was Fakirappa who called the girl’s uncle around 10.30 a.m. to inform him that the girl had died by consuming poisonous substance in the house.

The uncle rushed to the house and inquired with neighbours to find out that Fakirappa had visited the house. Fakirappa had told a neighbour that he will take the body to Belagavi and asked the latter not to reveal it.