Jammu, Mar 20 (IANS): The alleged mastermind in the rape and murder of a minor Bakkarwal (goatherd) girl in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district surrendered before Crime Branch sleuths on Tuesday, officials said.

Sanji Ram, a former Revenue Department official, is believed to be the mastermind in the rape and murder of 8-year old, according to the Crime Branch.

He had been evading arrest ever since the Crime Branch started looking for him, but gave himself up after his son was arrested from Uttar Pradesh and brought here for questioning.

The nomad girl was abducted on January 10 this year from Rasana village of Hiranagar tehsil in Kathua and her body was found in bushes on January 17.

Medical examination had revealed that she had been raped and subsequently murdered by strangulation.

It is believed that Ram, through this heinous crime, wanted to instill fear among the members of the nomad community so that they would leave the village.

Earlier, special police officer Deepak Khajuria was arrested for carrying out the crime. Two policemen - a sub-inspector and a head constable of the state police - have also been arrested for tampering with evidence in this highly-sensitive case.

Following public outcry, the case was shifted from local police to the Crime Branch.