A 13-year-old mentally-unstable girl from Randhawa Barota village in the district was raped by two youths on Sunday. The victim was admitted to the civil hospital here, while the accused are at large. The girl’s father, Bashir Mohammed, stated that on Sunday afternoon, the girl was alone at home when Rafi, who lives in their neighbourhood, and his accomplice, Suramdin of Pandori Rajputan village in the district, entered the house and raped her. Bashir alleged that when she tried to scream for help, they gagged her. Before leaving the place, they warned her not to tell her parents, he added.

“I saw her running naked in a field. I covered her up with my dupatta and took her home, where she told me about the incident,” said her mother, Sheena. Later, the parents took her to the hospital and informed the Bulhowal police.

Sheena said Rafi was a frequent visitor to their house, but they never knew about his intentions. “Rafi’s mother offered Rs. 50 and clothes as compensation, but my daughter refused,” she claimed.

Bashir alleged that the accused had threatened them with dire consequences if they did not withdraw the complaint.

After a medical examination, the police have registered a case under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against the two youths.