A three-year-old girl, who had gone to watch a cultural event on Dussehra along with her grandfather, was allegedly raped by a man in Chhattisgarh's Kabirdham district on Wednesday, police said.
The accused, identified as Durgesh Patel (40), has been arrested, they said.
The incident took place at around 2 am in a village under Kawardha City Kotwali police station limits when the victim, along with her grandfather, had gone to watch a cultural programme held on the occasion of Dussehra, Kabirdham Additional Superintendent of Police Harish Rathore said.
As per a complaint lodged by the minor's grandfather, while the programme was underway, he went to a nearby house to fetch water for the child and on returning, found her missing, the ASP said.
He later heard the girl's cries from a house and rushed there and found the man holding the victim, the police officer said.
An investigation revealed the accused had allegedly assaulted her sexually, Mr Rathore said.
A case was registered under section 376 AB (rape on a woman under 12 years of age) of the IPC and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the accused was arrested, he added.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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