A 19-year-old man allegedly raped a five-year-old girl residing in his neighbourhood in Maharashtra's Palghar district, a police official said today.

The accused has been arrested, he said.

The incident occurred yesterday when the girl's parents had gone to work at a farm, leaving the victim and their eight-month-old son at their home in Belghar village under Wada taluka.

At that time, the accused entered the victim's home and lured her by offering sweets. He then took the girl to his sister's house located nearby and allegedly raped the minor there, an official at Wada police station said.

The girl's parents learnt about the incident after returning home.

They immediately filed a complaint with the Wada police following which the accused was arrested last night and booked under relevant IPC sections and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the official said.

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