A Mukhia (village head) and two others have been arrested for allegedly making an abortive attempt to gang-rape a 12-year-old girl and assaulting her in the district, police said Sunday. The incident took place in Ranga village on Saturday under Sikaripara police station.

"We have arrested the Mukhia of Siltala village and his two friends last night and produced before a local court today," Officer-in-Charge of Shikaripara police station, Inspector Manoj Kumar Thakur said. The accused have been remanded to 14-day judicial custody, he said. The police officer said the victim, a class 8 student, had gone to see a football match where one of the accused, who was familiar to her, and the other two including the Mukhia took her on a motorcycle to an isolated place near Dudhi-Chunha ground.