Kalaburgi, Jul 7 (IANS): In a shocking case, a group of minor boys gang-raped a nine-year-old girl in Kalaburgi district of Karnataka, police said on Friday, adding that four have been detained.

The child has been admitted to a hospital after the brutal assault and the police have detained four boys aged between 12 years and 14 years in this connection. The juveniles have been sent to a remand home, while a hunt has been launched by the police for the fifth accused.

The incident took place in the limits of Kalaburgi Women's police station on Wednesday noon.

According to police the accused gang of five minor boys lured the victim, who was sitting in front of her house, to an isolated place on the pretext of buying her a chocolate.

The mother of the victim in her complaint stated that the accused gang took the girl upstairs of a nearby house and gang-raped her.

The victim had gone to school earlier in the day and after returning was trying to break almonds when the boys took her away. After committing the crime the accused threatened the victim not to reveal anything and that if she told any one, they would kill her. However, the girl, who somehow reached her home, narrated the incident to her mother.

The girl was rushed to the hospital and a complaint was lodged in the police station.

The police swung into action and took four accused into custody.

The police have lodged IPC Section 366A (procuration of minor girl for committing sexual offence), 376 (G) (gang-rape), 506 (criminal intimidation) against the accused persons. The police have also slapped POCSO case against them.