Patna, April 26 : The police on Saturday arrested a man in Bihar's Vaishali district for allegedly raping a six-year-old girl, officials said.

The accused has been identified as Lalbabu Ram (40), a neighbour of the victim.

Confirming the development, Kumari Durga Shakti, State Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) of Mahua range, said: "We are taking legal action against the accused. An FIR under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) and POCSO (kidnapping and rape) acts have been registered at Baligaon police station. The accused was arrested within 24 hours after committing the crime."

"We have investigated the crime scene and our Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team collected the samples. We have also conducted the medical examination of the victim which confirmed sexual assault," SDPO Shakti added.

According to the official, the incident occurred when the victim was on her way to a nearby shop with Rs 10 to buy biscuits.

The accused allegedly lured the child and kidnapped her.

He took her into a cornfield, where he raped her.

The accused also snatched the child's mobile phone and threw it away.

The police investigation has revealed that Lalbabu Ram had been involved in similar rape cases twice before, but the cases were settled socially without reaching the police.

This time, however, the matter was formally reported, and police took swift action.

The accused is currently being questioned, and police are deepening their probe into any additional complaints against him.

Earlier on February 27, a 14-year-old minor girl was gang raped by two persons in Vaishali.

The district police arrested three accused, including a woman in this connection.

A woman accused, Pakija Khatun alias Phullo, lured the minor girl and handed her over to two youths.

The victim's father lodged a complaint at the police station on March 1.

The two accused were identified as Pintu Kumar and Chotu Kumar. They were booked under the POCSO Act.

/IANS