Barabanki, Jul 27 (IANS): A 40-year-old man allegedly raped a five-year-old girl living in his neighbourhood in Uttar Pradesh's Barabanki and thereafter, left her in a sugarcane field, believing her to be dead.

The son of the accused - same age as that of the girl - told the police that his father had taken away the girl while she was playing with him. Subsequently, police recovered the girl lying in the field on Wednesday, based on the confession of the accused.

Barabanki (North) Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Ashutosh Mishra, said that the accused, Rinku Verma, has been arrested after registering an FIR under IPC section 376 (rape) and sections of POCSO Act in the matter.

The ASP said that the girl’s parents said that she had gone missing while playing with another child in the neighbourhood. The girl’s family started searching for her after this. However, when she was not found for around two hours, they approached the Rampur police station.

The official further said that the police immediately swung into action and launched a combing operation in nearby areas but failed to find her.

He said that the girl’s mother was alleging roles of three other persons behind the girl’s disappearance but the police reacted sensibly and questioned some children of the girl’s age group.

"The son of the accused, while interacting with cops, said -- Papa usko saath lekar jaa rahe the (My father was taking her along). Following which, the boy’s father, Rinku Verma, was rigorously interrogated. Ultimately, he confessed his crime. On his confession, the girl was recovered from the sugarcane field and was found alive," the ASP.

The victim was immediately rushed to the district hospital where she is currently undergoing treatment. Her condition is still critical.

He said that the accused told cops that the girl become unconscious during the sexual assault, and he left her in the field believing her to be dead. The accused even started beating his son when he informed cops about him taking along the girl.