A nine-year-old student of grade five was allegedly sexually abused by a student of 10th-grade in the hostel of Mirpurkhas Public School on Wednesday night, police said.

According to the victim, he was reportedly alone in his room when the accused came. After allegedly committing the heinous act, the teenage suspect hurled "threats of dire consequences" to the victim in case he informs someone about the matter.

The boy, however, managed to procure a cellphone from one of his school friends and called his father to tell him what had happened.

Upon hearing the boy's complaint, his father and uncle rushed to the school to obtain further information.

They demanded an explanation from Muhammad Paryal, the hostel warden, but failed to receive a satisfactory response.

This prompted them to approach the police who denied registering the case on Wednesday night, but on Thursday owing to the notice and intervention of DIG Mirpurkhas Mazhar Nawaz Shaikh, a case was registered on the complaint of the boy's father under sections 377 (unnatural offences) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The police also issued a certificate for a medical checkup of the boy and DNA testing.

After an initial examination conducted in Civil Hospital Mirpurkhas, it was established by Dr Ramesh that the boy had indeed been sodomised.

SHO Dawood Ahmed Dero when contacted confirmed that the accused, aged between 16 and 17, has been arrested.

"The accused was taken to Civil Hospital Mirpurkhas for a medical checkup which confirmed he had committed the assault," said the SHO.

The boy's father while speaking to Dawn said he wanted "justice by strict punishment to the accused". He further said that the hostel warden should also be held responsible as it was under his watch and due to his serious negligence that such an unfortunate incident took place.

Moreover, as panic rose among the students living in the hostel, he urged the school administration to take strict action against the hostel warden.