Police on Thursday arrested one of the three persons accused of raping a 15-year-old girl from Saptari.

Baldev Sardar, 35, of Kancharup Municipality-5 has been charged with raping the girl from the same village while the victim was returning home from a local grocery store, police said.

On Wednesday, Sardar had lured the girl with Rs 500

into accompanying him to a bush 100 meters south of the municipality and raped

her, according to police investigation.

Right after the incident, Ashok Sah, 23, of Portaha-9 and Shiva Ram Sardar, 18, of the same village, who came on a motorcycle, took the girl with them, Inspector Gaurab Mahat said.

They were under the influence of alcohol and they took the girl to the Koshi barrage in Bharadaha-1 and raped her, he said.

However, police nabbed Ashok and Shiva Ram during a security check when they were returning with the girl on their motorcycle.

The victim was immediately rushed to Dharan-based BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences. Ashok and Shiva Ram are in police custody.

Investigation is underway, said police, adding that the cases of abduction, hostage taking and rape would be filed against the trio.