Ranchi, Dec 27 (IANS): Police here in the Jharkhand capital on Sunday arrested four people for gang-raping two girls.

On December 20, two girls, aged 19 and 17 years, were gang-raped by a group of youths at a hilltop in Bariatu area of Ranchi. The medical report later confirmed rape.

"Six people are involved in the gang-rape. Four have been arrested. They have a criminal background and have been in jail in connection with criminal cases in the past," Ranchi Senior Superintendent of Police Prabhat Kumar told reporters.

The two absconding accused will soon be arrested, he said.

Police earlier said the two girls were abducted by six men in a car on December 20 when they had gone to the market to make purchases.

The girls told the police they were taken to a hilltop at Bariatu and raped. They were later released on the same night. Both the girls reached home and filed a police complaint.

The issue was raised in the state assembly by the opposition.

Jharkhand has seen a surge in crime against women. The number of kidnapping and rape cases this year till August stood at 996 and 1,261, respectively, up from 792 and 905 during the same period in 2014.

Recently, a girl in Ranchi stopped going to school, saying she was being constantly harassed by a youth. The youth was arrested after the issue was highlighted in the media.