A 21-year-old man allegedly kidnapped and raped a five-year-old girl in Ghaziabad, the police said on Tuesday. The accused has been arrested and booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

The girl was sleeping with her grandmother outside their house in Vijay Nagar locality on Monday night when she was abducted, reported the Hindustan Times. “The incident took place around 1.30 am,” said Ghaziabad Senior Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Krishna. “We have arrested the accused and are ensuring that the girl gets good medical treatment.”

After initial treatment at a district hospital, the minor was referred to the GTB Hospital in New Delhi on Tuesday morning, said the police. The girl’s father said she had injuries to her private parts along with swelling around the eye and nail marks on her neck.

The girl lives with her parents, grandmother and two younger siblings. The father said the child had slept outside due to a power cut and claimed that the accused gagged her. “Her mother woke up and found she was missing,” he said. “We launched a search but could not locate her anywhere.”

Neighbours found the girl lying unconscious nearby. The accused, who was seen escaping, was caught and beaten up, said the father. “I called up the police and the man was arrested,” he added.

The father also said that CCTV footage of the neighbourhood showed the accused had taken two-three rounds of the house. According to the police, he was known to the family, reported The Hindu.