A nine-year-old girl was allegedly molested and pushed into a canal by three minor boys, said a police official on Thursday.

Nandyala district superintendent of police K Raghuveera Reddy said the girl, who was playing in a park on Sunday, was molested by the boys and then pushed into Mucchumarri Lift Irrigation canal.

"They (boys) molested and pushed her into the canal. It happened on Sunday at around 5 pm. They were all from Mucchumarri village and everybody knew each other," Reddy told PTI.

Two of the accused are 15 years old, while the other one is 12 years old, the official said.

Police received a missing complaint from the girl's parents, prompting them to launch a search for her but are yet to find her body. They are also interrogating the boys.

According to the SP, a National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team arrived on Thursday to search for the body.

Reddy said that it cannot be ascertained whether the girl was raped until her body is found.

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