Patna: Three minor boys allegedly abducted and gang-raped a 12-year-old girl in a village under the jurisdiction of Masaurhi police station in Patna rural in the early hours of Friday.

The girl was returning to her home after attending a wedding ceremony at the village around 12.30am. A minor boy, who is her neighbour, forcibly took her to a nearby agriculture field where his two associates were waiting.

The trio raped the girl and threatened her with dire consequences if she reported the incident to the police.

The three boys fled the spot, leaving the girl bleeding profusely.

Her cries for help went unheeded because a public address system was blaring in the neighbourhood.

She somehow reached home and narrated her ordeal. Initially her family members tried to suppress the incident, but her mother would have none of it as one of the three offenders was known to the family. The girl's mother along with some local residents reached the Masaurhi police station around 2am and lodged a complaint against the three accused.

A police team raided the village, around 6km south of the Masarauhi sub-divisional headquarters, and took two of the accused into custody.

During interrogation, the duo is learnt to have disclosed the names of their third associate, who is still at large.

Masaurhi sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Surendra Panjiar said that the girl, a Class V student of a government school, had been sent to the Patna Medical College and Hospital for medical examination.

Her statement would also be recorded in the special Pocso (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012) court.

"Nobody could suspect that he (the accused) would commit such a serious crime," said a relative of the girl.

"The girl became unconscious after the incident. She somehow mustered courage and reached home. She is very frightened and doesn't want to talk to anybody."

Earlier, the SDPO said that a police team led by the station house officer of Masaurhi police station Shambhu Yadav conducted raids at different hideouts of the third accused, who was absconding after the incident. "All the three accused are juvenile," he disclosed.

Last week, a 16-year-old girl was gang-raped by four youths near GPO roundabout under the jurisdiction of Kotwali police station.

7-year-old raped

A seven-year-old girl was allegedly raped by her uncle on the roof of her house under the jurisdiction of Hathwa police station of Gopalganj district, around 153km north-west of Patna, on Wednesday evening. The child was admitted to the sadar hospital in Gopalganj in a critical condition.

Police said that the accused, identified as Govind Baitha, lured the child by offering her toffee, took her to the roof and raped her. The girl's parents found her lying in a pool of blood and rushed her to hospital.

The state has witnessed a sharp rise in incidents of rape. In January this year, 74 cases of rape were lodged with police stations across the state.

"The fear of law is gone," said Awadesh Kumar, a retired government employee. "Criminals are virtually ruling the roost in the state."