The incident happened on Monday night in the Bagbassa area of the district when the minor girl was returning home with her neighbour from a relative's place, the police said.

The police have registered a case against a 27-year-old man, the girl's neighbour, the Superintendent of Police (SP) of the district, Bhanupada Chakraborty, said, adding that the accused man is absconding.

The victim had gone to stay at the residence of her relatives, a few kilometres away from her house, to attend an event, Chakraborty said.

The accused went there and convinced her to return home with him. She agreed since they were residents of the same locality and the man raped her in a jungle on their way back, the SP said.

The girl narrated the incident to her parents after reaching home, following which her mother registered a complaint with the police, the police officer said.

"We are looking at the case very seriously. Offenders of such heinous crimes must not go scot-free," the SP said, adding that a case was registered under various sections of the IPC and section six of the POCSO Act.

The victim was sent to a hospital for medical examination, he added.