A 50-year-old autorickshaw driver was on Sunday arrested for allegedly raping a nine-year-old boy on the pretext of offering sweets. The driver was well-known to the boy's family as he has been ferrying the boy to his school every day for more than six years.

According to the police, on November 11, the accused called up the boy's father and asked him to send the victim to pick up Diwali sweets at his residence. Later, the victim's older sister dropped him off at the driver's house and returned. Taking advantage of the situation, the accused sodomised the boy and even threatened him of severe consequences, if he reported the matter to his parents.