The official in the French consulate in Bangalore, accused of raping his three-and-a-half year-old daughter, was slapped by a bystander when he was produced in the court today, local media reported.

He was arrested today, almost four days after his wife, an Indian citizen, registered a complaint alleging he raped their daughter. Yesterday child welfare activists in Bangalore were protesting outside the French consulate demanding the arrest of the man.

The man, Pascal Mazurier, 39, the deputy head of chancery, French consulate, in Bangalore, was arrested after officials in the French government confirmed that the man does not hold a diplomatic passport, which meant he could be arrested and prosecuted in India. His wife Suja Jones filed a complaint with High Grounds police on Thursday, and doctors confirmed the incident had taken place.

With the help of a Bangalore-based NGO, she alerted the police to the incident after her maid told her that her daughter was being sexually abused.

She took the child to a private hospital at Hebbal which confirmed the sexual assault, said Karnataka Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KCPCR) Chairperson Nina Nayak.

Ms Jones has approached the Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) and the ministry of external affairs (MEA), requesting that her husband face trial in India regardless of the diplomatic immunity he enjoys.

"A case of child abuse has been registered. We are investigating ... we have interrogated a few people. We have not arrested anybody," said Ravikant Gowda, DCP, Bangalore Police.

"By now, he should have been arrested and his passport seized. The medical examination of the child confirms sexual abuse so he does not deserve diplomatic immunity," said the lawyer for the wife of the accused French envoy.

The French consulate has declined to comment on the matter.