Phulbani: Mystery shrouded the death of a 10 year-old girl who was found hanging from the door latch of her house in Phulbani town of Odisha's Kandhamal district on Tuesday night. 

The incident took place when the girl was alone at home with her cousin brother, also a minor. As per reports, the couple, who resided in Peon Pada in Phulbani town, had gone out in the evening. To their horror, they came back to see the minor daughter's hanging at the entrance of the house. While the exact cause of death is not ascertained yet, it is being alleged she was murdered by the cousin.

"I went out with my wife and elder daughter at around 5 pm. I dropped my wife at the sewing centre and my daughter at her tuition class. My younger daughter and my nephew were at home. When we returned home around 7.30 pm, my younger daughter's body was hanging from the main door latch. She was too young to take her own life. I suspect she was murdered," the minor's father told mediapersons. 

On getting information, police reached the spot and recovered the body which was then sent to the district headquarters hospital for postmortem. Doctors declared the girl dead on arrival.

Official sources said a case has been registered and the exact cause of death will be established after autopsy. Police have initiated investigation and are probing the turn of events that could have led to the mysterious death, they informed.

Soon after the news spread, a pall of gloom descended on the area.