New Delhi, March 14 (IANS) A 22-year-old rickshaw-puller was arrested in north Delhi Monday for beating up and raping a 77-year-old wife of a retired government official last week, police said.

Bhola, hailing from Madhya Pradesh, was arrested Sunday night.

The victim, a resident of Rohini, had gone to her sister's house in the same locality Friday afternoon and was returning home in the accused's cycle rickshaw when the incident took place.

The accused was identified after police detained hundreds of rickshaw pullers for interrogation in the wake of the rape that was reported Saturday.

"We arrested him from sector 15 in Rohini around 8 p.m. Sunday. Bhola refused to get his picture clicked after we had rounded up around 100 rickshaw pullers in the area for interrogation. This pointed the needle of suspicion towards him. Later, he confessed to the crime," a police official said.

According to police, Bhola, while ferrying the victim to her home in Rohini, took her to an isolated spot near the Japanese Park. The victim panicked and asked Bhola to take her home immediately.

According to the victim's family, the rickshaw puller deliberately overturned the rickshaw and picked up an argument with the victim. He then allegedly attacked her with a brick.

He made her smell some chemical due to which she became semi-conscious and raped her, police said .

"The victim is still in hospital and her condition is stated to be stable," police added.

The rape occurred at a stone's throw away from K.N. Katju Marg police station. The victim was found bruised and lying on the roadside early Saturday morning by a passer-by.