Ranchi, Dec 21 (IANS) Two girls were abducted and gang-raped here in the Jharkhand capital, police said on Monday, even as massive protests were taking place in many places over the release of the juvenile convict in the December 16 gang-rape.

Police said the two girls were abducted by six men in a car on Sunday evening when they had gone to buy something from the Bardman compound.

The girls said they were taken to a hilltop at Bariatu in Ranchi and raped. They were later released on Sunday night.

Both the girls reached home on Sunday night and filed a police complaint.

Police have launched an investigation into the matter, and also conducted medical tests of both the girls.

The issue was raised in the state assembly by the opposition.

"The abduction and rape of the two girls is a matter of concern. Such incidents are taking place in the state capital and police come to know only when family members inform them," said Leader of Opposition and former chief minister Hemant Soren.

Jharkhand has seen a surge in crime against women in the recent past. The number of kidnapping and rape cases this year till August stood at 996 and 1,261, respectively -- up from 792 and 905, respectively, during the same period in 2014.

Last week, a girl in Bariatu locality of Ranchi stopped going to school, saying she was being constantly harassed by a youth. The youth was arrested after the issue was highlighted in the local media.