Irate villagers stripped a 40-year-old man and beat him up after tying him to an electricity pole in a village near Ranebennur in Haveri district on Wednesday, after accusing him of sexually assaulting an eight-year-old girl.
The police rescued him and took him to hospital.
Villagers have demanded that the accused be arrested and tried under PoCSO Act.
A case has been registered, the police have said.