New Delhi  - A policeman and his friend were arrested for allegedly raping an 11-year-old girl in a moving car in New Delhi, officials said Friday.

The crime, which sent shockwaves across the Indian capital, occurred on Thursday when a traffic constable and his friend allegedly abducted the girl from near her home in northern Delhi and sexually assaulted her in the car.

"The two later dropped her on the roadside. The victim reached her home and informed her parents who took her to the local hospital. We have arrested the two and are investigating the matter," a police spokesman said.

He added that the policeman was suspended from duty after a medical examination at the hospital confirmed the rape.

"I was waiting outside, when two men drove up. They picked me up and put me in the car. The man told me that if I made any noise, he would kill me," the victim told the NDTV network.

This is the eighth case of rape reported in New Delhi this month, which has prompted lawmakers in the Indian parliament to voice concern over the growing number of cases of crimes against women in the city.

According to statistics released by the Delhi Police, 581 rape cases were registered in the city last year.

"Delhi has become the rape capital of India," MP Gyan Prakash Pilania told the parliament earlier this week, adding that that Delhi was witnessing rising numbers of cases of assault on women. (dpa)