Violence erupts after 7-year-old girl raped in Jaipur, 16 arrested

Jaipur Police on Tuesday arrested 16 people in connection with a violent protest that erupted after a seven-year-old girl was raped in Shastri Nagar area of the city.

"Some people had gathered in the area to protest. When the police tried to disperse the crowd, they started pelting stones. Some vehicles were damaged and a few police officers were also injured. We have registered a case and arrested 16 people," Jaipur Police Commissioner Anand Srivastava told reporters.

The family of the victim had filed a complaint after the girl was abducted and raped on Monday.

"The culprit lured the girl from near her house into a vehicle around 8 pm yesterday and raped her. After two hours, he dropped her at the same spot from where she was picked up. A medical checkup was conducted and a case registered. Several teams are working to nab the offender," he said.

Srivastava dismissed rumours of a communal angle to the incident. "Action will also be taken against those spreading the rumours," he added.