Dhenkanal, 21 April

A seven-year-old girl was allegedly raped in Odisha's Dhenkanal district, police said on Monday.

The incident took place on Saturday evening when she was collecting palm fruits from the orchard near her village in the Motanga police station area, they said.

Finding her alone, a 32-year-old drunk man raped her. He left the unconscious girl in the orchard and covered her with palm leaves, police said.

Her brother found her in a pool of blood, following which she was rushed to the nearby Hindol hospital and later shifted to the district headquarters hospital at Angul.

The girl is out of danger now, doctors said.

Police said the man hails from another place and had come to the girl's village to visit a relative.

He was arrested on Sunday, and a case was registered, they said.

"The accused is an alcoholic and has a past criminal record," an officer said.