An eight-year-old girl, daughter of a migrant couple, was abducted and sexually assaulted at Chathanpuram in Aluva near Kochi in the wee hours of Thursday.

The girl, who was sleeping inside her house was abducted and sexually assaulted at around 1 am when the girl’s parents were deep in sleep.

Locals found the girl in a paddy field in Chathanpuram, near Aluva with injuries on private parts in the morning. They immediately alerted the police. The police arrived at the spot and admitted the girl to the Kalamassery Government Medical College Hospital. Her condition is stated to be stable.

Hours after the heinous crime was committed, the police arrested the accused, Christil aka Satheesh, 36, a native of Chenkal, Parassala, Thiruvananthapuram, who was hiding beneath a bridge in Aluva.

“Upon receiving a clue that a person was found hiding under the bridge in Periyar, near Aluva, the police team reached the spot and arrested him. The police took him in custody for a detailed interrogation,” police sources said.

Christil is a history-sheeter having about 15 cases pending against him and was released on bail on 10 August, police said.

This is the second such incident reported from Aluva in recent weeks. It was only on 29 July that a five-year-old migrant girl was found raped and murdered in Aluva. The police have arrested Bihar native Asafak Alam (28) related to this case.

Meanwhile, Kerala health minister Veena George has announced a financial aid of Rs one lakh to the girl’s family from the Women and child development relief fund.The minister also said that free treatment will be provided to the girl at Kalamassery Government Medical College Hospital

Responding to the incident, BJP state president K Surendran said the present situation in Kerala is deplorable, even young children cannot live in the state Terming the incident as a disgrace to Kerala, Surendran in a statement said the LDF government which promised that the student who was beaten up by a teacher in U.P, will be provided education here, should at first provide protection to the children here.