Hundreds of people have taken to the streets of the Indian capital New Delhi to protest the brutal rape and torture of a five-year-old girl.

The girl was found on Thursday in a locked a room and taken to a local hospital suffering from extensive internal injuries.

Police have arrested 22-year-old Manoj Kumar, a neighbour of the girl, on allegations of rape and torture.

The girl was found in his home, where she was allegedly held for two days, after a passer-by was alerted to her cries.

Swami Dayanand Hospital doctor RN Basal told reporters that the young victim had undergone an operation.

"The child was brought to the hospital - the police were with her," he said.

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"She was very scared and not fully conscious. She was not in a good condition.

"Her blood pressure was low. She had fever and our medical examination revealed she had superficial injuries on her lips, cheeks, chest wall, arms, and on her neck.

"She had some deep bruises as if somebody had tried to throttle or strangulate her."

The young victim was later transferred to New Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences for treatment.

The five-year-old rape victim was transferred to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences hospital from Swami Dayanand hospital for treatment in New Delhi. ( Reuters: Adnan Abid )

Horrific acts

This latest incident revived memories of the brutal gang rape by five adult men and a teenaged boy of a 23-year-old physiotherapy student on a bus in New Delhi in December.

Hundreds of protesters have taken to New Delhi's streets, blockading police stations and government offices and calling for authorities to do more to protect women and girls.

The girl's father says police repeatedly ignored them when they reported her missing.

"We went to lodge a report with the police; they told us they have filed the complaint," he said.

"They told us the same thing when we went to them for the second time.

"I don't know if they wrote the report or searched for her properly because had they done so, this horrific act wouldn't have taken place with my child."

The father of the victim also alleges police offered him money to keep quiet about their handling of the case.

A 'brutalised society'

Ranjana Kumari from the India's centre for social research says cultural attitudes towards women need to be adjusted.

"I think we are becoming a totally brutalised society," she said.

"I don't know what kind of men and boys we are breeding - the brutes who are around, and also the audacity of the police to tell the family not to register the case in spite of the December case that happened.

"Law has been changed, but nothing seems to be changing.

"This is really a situation where I think families, society, community punish the people; punish them the way you wish to.

"What do you do in this kind of a situation when no system is working?"

The girl's family say they want to the man responsible to face the death penalty.

ABC/wires