3-year-old girl sexually assaulted, battles for life

The incident took place when the girl was playing outside her house in <g data-gr-id="43">Pilanji</g> Village and she was allegedly lured by her neighbour. At around 9.30 pm, when the victim returned home crying, her mother noticed that her clothes were torn and she was bleeding. Victim’s mother immediately informed her husband who took her to Safdarjung hospital.

Police informed that a 22-year-old neighbour was arrested in connection to the rape on Sunday evening. “The accused is a drug-addict and the victim used to call him chachu (uncle). The victim’s mother found that she was repeatedly uttering the word chaaku, that was later decoded as chachu. When family members were questioned about his identity they told police that their daughter used to call one of their neighbours as chachu. He was missing soon after the incident. On Sunday evening, he was nabbed from Railway Colony,” a police official said.

Meanwhile, the girl underwent a minor operation and was shifted to ICU. “She has been kept on the ventilator and her condition is critical,” the hospital staff said.

The victim stays with her parents in the village. Her father is a fast food seller and mother is a <g data-gr-id="52">house wife</g>. The family suspected the involvement of someone known behind the brutal act. According to a senior police official, “When victim’s mother noticed her daughter in such a condition she asked her the reason behind it. She repeatedly uttered the word <g data-gr-id="53">chaaku</g>, which suggests that she was allegedly assaulted by a familiar person”.

A case under Prevention of Children from Sexual Offenses (<g data-gr-id="39">Pocso</g>) Act was registered in Sarojini Nagar police station. Meanwhile, chairperson of Delhi Women Commission Barkha Shukla Singh has 

visited Safdarjung Hospital on Sunday morning and met the victim’s family. She had also deployed some councilors in the hospital to look after the victim’s needs.