Communal tension broke out in Uttarakhand’s Nainital after a 12-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted by a 60-year-old man, triggering protests and vandalism, officials said.

Police said the accused, Osman, who is a contractor by profession, has been arrested but added that there was heavy deployment of forces to maintain peace. Protests erupted after news spread about the girl being taken for a medical examination around 8 pm Wednesday night, following the alleged assault.