A nine-year-old girl was sexually assaulted, allegedly by the man running the hostel she was staying in Tamil Nadu's Krishnagiri district.
The accused has been arrested under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The man's wife, a teacher and two more people have also been arrested for allegedly attempting to broker a compromise, said the police. All five have been remanded in judicial custody.
According to police, the girl, a Class IV student residing in a private hostel in Hosur, was allegedly assaulted by the hostel's administrator.
The arrests were made after the child's mother filed a complaint.
"We have completed the medical examination and the survivor and her family are being counselled," a police officer told NDTV.
Over the last several months, the key opposition party, AIADMK, has been claiming that women's safety has been compromised with the alleged rise in sexual offences against them in the state.
The ruling DMK and the state police have denied these charges, maintaining that Tamil Nadu is safer for women compared to many other states.
They also stress that stringent action is taken in every such case and that trials are fast-tracked to ensure early convictions.
Police said further investigation is underway.
