3-year-old girl was raped by her uncle and the accused was arrested, said police. (Representational)

A three-year-old girl was allegedly raped by her maternal uncle in outer Delhi's Paschim Vihar, following which the accused was arrested, police said Friday.

They said the incident took place four days ago.

According to the Delhi Commission for Women, the incident happened when the girl was playing with the accused's six-year-old daughter outside his house.

Delhi Commission for Women Chairperson Swati Maliwal visited the child in the hospital and is helping her legally as well as financially, the panel said.

"The little girl was subjected to utmost cruelty by her own uncle and remained in the operation theatre for more than six hours. She had recently come to Delhi with her mother and her 10-year-old brother from MP. Her father was going to join them in a few days after selling off his cattle," the panel said.

The girl's family is extremely poor and could barely survive with the meagre earning from husbandry, it said.

"The family came to Delhi in search of a new life. Until her father could join the family, her mother decided to stay at her sister's place with her children, the panel said.

Recently, her mother got a job as a domestic help in a nearby colony. Her mother and aunt were away at work when the incident happened.

The girl told the Delhi Commission for Women team that her uncle took her inside the house where he raped her while her cousin was still playing outside, the panel said.

"After allegedly raping her, the accused contacted her mother and informed that her daughter seemed to be ''unwell''. Her mother came home and saw her bleeding profusely," the panel claimed.

She took her to a local medical practitioner where the girl was given some medicine.

Later, when the bleeding did not stop, she took her to a hospital where the doctors informed that the girl had been sexually assaulted and referred her to LNJP hospital.

"The girl was kept in the operation theatre for more than six hours. When the girl regained consciousness, she told her father in the presence of DCW team that her uncle had made her 'bleed''," the panel said.

Subsequently, the accused was arrested, they said, adding he tried to escape but was nabbed with the help of relatives.

Ms Maliwal tweeted, "Visited 3 year old rape survivor in hospital. Girl is v ill. Parents came 1 month bk from village & relative they stayed with raped d child! Family came 2 Delhi 4 good education for the daughter & got this instead! Delhi Commission for Women helping them legally & financially but who will give justice (sic)?"