A SIX-YEAR-OLD girl has been kidnapped, raped and dumped on the side of the road in New Delhi in the latest sexual attack to shock India.

The girl, from Delhi's satellite city of Gurgaon, was spotted by a passer-by in the border region of Kapashera. The crime became public knowledge after local newspapers and news-channels reported it on Friday.

"Medical examinations have confirmed rape. The girl is recuperating in a hospital," Om Prakash, a local police officer said.

"We have launched a manhunt to arrest those responsible for the brutal act but have few leads as the girl is unable to give a proper statement since she is traumatised," he added.

The Times of India reported the victim was last seen with a man in his early twenties and it was possible that she had been raped by more than one person.

Many rapes have been reported since December's fatal gang rape of a 23-year-old student on a bus in New Delhi. The assault sparked angry protests and demands for better protection for women and stricter laws against rape.

Originally published as Six-year-old girl raped, dumped