BHOPAL: An 8-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a 41-year-old neighbour in the jurisdiction area of Bhopal police (Rural) on Friday afternoon. The accused lured the Class 3 student into his shanty under the pretext of sending her to buy detergent, only to trap her inside and subject her to sexual assault. The girl was rescued when a neighbouring woman heard her scream and alerted locals, who caught the suspect and thrashed him before handing him over to the police.According to the police, the survivor lives with her 2 younger sisters and parents, who are both sanitation workers at a local factory. The incident occurred around 1:00 PM while the parents were away at work. The survivor was playing near her home when the accused, identified as Dharmendra, 41, intercepted her. Dharmendra, an unmarried factory worker originally from Sehore, allegedly asked the girl to fetch him detergent powder from a nearby shop. When she approached him to collect the money, he led her inside his shanty and locked the door.Once inside, the accused reportedly forced the child to watch pornographic videos on his mobile phone before raping her. The child’s scream caught the attention of a woman living nearby, who immediately rushed to the spot. With the help of other local residents, they broke into the shanty and rescued the girl from Dharmendra’s clutches. The enraged crowd confronted the accused, pushing him against a wall and beating him, resulting in minor injuries.Upon receiving information, the Bhopal (Rural) police arrived at the scene and took the accused into custody. A formal case was registered against Dharmendra under the relevant sections of the BNS and the POCSO Act. The survivor was sent for a medical examination, and the accused was officially placed under arrest as the investigation continues.