Jajpur, Aug. 29: Police today arrested a 22-year-old man for allegedly raping a Class III student near her school at Nathuabar village.

The accused, Kuna Pradhan of Nua Sahi village, was produced before a local court, and later, remanded to judicial custody.

According to the FIR, lodged by the victim’s father with Kuakhia police, her eight-year-old daughter went to school on Friday. But teachers told them that the classes had been suspended because of construction of the school building.

Instead of returning home the girl was playing with other school children, when Kuna lured her on the pretext of giving chocolates. “He took the victim to an abandoned house, a few yards from the school, and raped her. The victim informed her parents about the assault after she reached home,” said Kumar Nayak, officer in charge of Kuakhia police station.

The victim’s father had brought the matter to the village committee’s notice on Friday night and Kuna was summoned. But, he reportedly refused to admit the crime.

“We conducted raids on various places and arrested him today from a nearby village. We conducted medical examination of both the accused and the victim at the district headquarters hospital in Jajpur town,” Nayak said.