Jammu, April 4 (IANS): DNA tests of the nomadic girl raped and murdered in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district in January this year have confirmed that she was held captive inside a temple before being murder, police officials said on Wednesday.

Top sources in the state police Crime branch said that the DNA of hair strands found inside the temple matched with those of 8-year old Asifa who was raped and subsequently murdered in Rasana village of Hiranagar tehsil of Kathua.

"The temple premises were searched for evidence and clues after one of the accused confirmed the the minor had been held in captivity inside the temple," a Crime Branch sourc seaid.

The postmortem report of the victim has already confirmed that she had been sedated before being raped and  murdered.

Sanji Ram, a retired official of the Revenue Department is believed to have masterminded the heinous crime to create fear among the nomad 'Bakerwal' (goatherd) community in the village so that they could be pushed out.

He is the custodian of the temple where the girl was allegedly held in captivity.

Nine accused, including the alleged mastermind Sanji Ram, his son Vishal Kumar, a police head constable, two special police officers (SPOs) and a sub-inspector of police have been arrested in the case.

Members of the Hindu Ekta Morcha have been demanding that the investigation of the case be handed over to the CBI.

State government handed over the investigations to the local crime branch after the case was messed up by the officials of the Hiranagar police station.