Police said investigation into the incident is underway. (Representational)
A 46-year-old man has been arrested here on charges of kidnapping and attempting to rape a 12-year-old girl, police said on Friday.
Station House Officer (SHO) of Sadar police station, Hoshiarpur, Sub-Inspector Baljinder Singh said accused Harpal Singh, alias Raju, kidnapped the minor on Thursday while she was walking towards her school.
He lured her with chocolate, grabbed her and took off in an auto-rickshaw, the officer said, adding that Singh even threatened to kill her if she raised an alarm.
While they were in the vehicle, he allegedly molested the girl and then took her to a forested area, the official said.
The minor noticed some people collecting wood and raised an alarm, following which they rescued her and handed the man over to the police, the SHO said.
He said further investigation in the case was underway.
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