Tamluk, April 10: A two-and-a-half-year-old girl was allegedly raped by the 15-year-old son of a police constable in East Midnapore this evening.

More than 1,000 residents of Baishnabchowk, 150km from Calcutta, surrounded the house of Amit Pal. They wanted to lynch him and set him on fire and would not let police arrest him.

“The accused boy’s father, Ajit Pal, is a constable attached to Haldia police station,” said Gaurav Sharma, sub-divisional police officer (Haldia).

The girl’s parents had gone out when Amit, a neighbour, allegedly went to the house around 8pm and raped her. Her parents returned half an hour later and called the police. The girl was taken to hospital.

When the police arrived, the villagers stood in their way. They said Amit would get away because he was a policeman’s son. More police personnel, led by Sharma, reached the spot.

Amit was finally arrested at 12.30am.