Bhubaneswar: A 48-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday night for allegedly raping his 10-year-old daughter at a slum in Capital Police limits.

The minor was sleeping with her 12-year-old sister when the accused forced himself upon her.

Police said the accused, a rickshaw puller by profession, was forwarded to the court on Wednesday and sent to the Jharapada jail following rejection of his bail plea.

The police said the incident took place when the mother of the victim was in the hospital following delivery of her third child on Saturday night.

"The matter came to light after the victim raised an alarm and other slum dwellers rushed to the spot. Later, they informed the police and a PCR van reached the spot and rescued the minor girl. A case was registered on the basis of a complaint filed by a woman activist," said a police official.

Deputy commissioner of police Anup Kumar Sahoo said that preliminary investigation revealed that the accused was under intoxicated when the incident took place.

"We have conducted medical examination of both the accused and the victim. Further investigation is on," said Sahoo.

In November 2014 Jatni police had arrested a 45-year-old father for allegedly sexually exploiting his 11-year-old daughter.

Activist Namrata Chadha said that kids were vulnerable to such crimes as they didn't have a voice.

"Most of the times they are unaware of what is happening to them. Their helplessness makes them soft targets. Stringent action should be initiated against people exploiting minor girls," she said.