Kolkata, Oct 16 : A youth was arrested and sent to police custody for seven days in connection with the rape of a six-year-old girl in the Suti Police Station area of Murshidabad district.

The accused allegedly took the girl behind a bush and raped her during a power outage in the village on Tuesday evening.

The accused was produced before the Jangipur sub-divisional court, which remanded him to seven days' police custody, the police said on Thursday

Regarding the incident, Farakka Sub-divisional Police Officer Sk. Shamsuddin said, "The accused has been arrested and is presently in police custody. He is being interrogated. The victim has been sent for a medical examination. Efforts are being made to complete the investigation quickly."

The police said that the initial interrogation revealed that the arrested youth was addicted to various drugs.

According to the police, the child was admitted to a local hospital following the incident on Tuesday night.

Police sources said that there were scratch marks on the face and various body parts of the accused. Police personnel took the accused to the spot on Wednesday.

According to police and local sources, the child was playing in the neighbourhood when the incident occurred.

At that time, a sudden power outage occurred in the area. The accused youth took advantage of the darkness and dragged the child to a bamboo grove in the village under the Suti police station. It is alleged that the accused youth raped the child inside that bamboo grove.

Later, hearing the child's screams, the villagers rushed towards the spot. They rescued the girl who was profusely bleeding. The villagers also caught the accused red-handed.

After receiving the news of the incident, the officers from the Suti Police Station reached the spot, arrested the youth and took him away.

The incident had created tension in the area.

/IANS