Gurugram, Feb 27 (IANS): A 24-year-old man has been arrested here for allegedly kidnapping, sodomising and killing a 10-year-old boy, the police said on Monday.

The arrested individual has been identified Prince. He used to earlier reside near the victim's house.

The boy's body was found in the bushes in the IMT Manesar area on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday, the police said.

The boy's parents approached the police after he went missing at around 5.30 p.m. on Sunday.

In the complaint, the minor's father told the police that his son could not be seen anywhere around after he had stepped out of their rented accommodation in the Sector 10 area to play outside.

At around 7.30 p.m. on Sunday, the boy's family received a ransom call from an unknown caller who demanded Rs 2 lakh for his release.

"The police had then laid a trap and nabbed the caller from IMT Manesar," Assistant Commissioner of Police, Preet Pal Sangwan said.

Sangwan said Prince had admitted that he had sodomised the victim. Fearing that the boy would reveal everything to others, he murdered the 10-year-old by slitting his throat with a knife.

The body was handed over to his family after an autopsy.

Police are questioning the accused to ascertain if he had committed such offences in the past as well.

The weapon used in the crime has also been recovered from the accused.