Bhubaneswar, May 10: Family members of a six-year-old boy have lodged a complaint with Nayapalli police station alleging that he was sexually abused by his neighbour in the Munda Sahi slum near CRP Square last night.

The police have launched a hunt for Sidhu Singh (22), the accused. Narendra Balumuchu, a native of Andhra Pradesh, was staying in the slum with his wife and six-year-old son.

According to the complaint, while Balumuchu and his wife were not at home yesterday, Singh called their son to his home luring him with a chocolate. He then took the boy to a room and sexually abused him. Singh also threatened the boy with dire consequences if he told anyone about the incident.

Later, when Balumuchu and his wife returned from work, they noticed their child was crying. When they asked him why he was crying, he told his parents about the incident.

Balumuchu and his wife then searched for Singh but could not find him as he had already fled from the area. Then they went to Nayapalli police station and lodged a complaint against Singh.

The police today took the child to the Capital Hospital for medical examination. Sources said that the medical test had proved that the boy had been sexually abused.

The police have registered a case under Section 377 (unnatural offences) of the Indian Penal Code. “We have launched a manhunt to arrest the accused very soon,” said a police officer.

Although the incident had occurred in the slum, local residents were clueless about this. Sources said that the family had left the slum after the medical examination of their child. “We did not know what had happened to their child. We had seen them in the morning. But they were not seen in the area since noon,” said Rabi Hembram, a neighbour.

The police, however, informed that the health condition of the child is good.