The police have launched an investigation after registering a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act after a 12-year-old girl delivered a baby boy.
The incident came to the light on Friday after the victim along with her pre-mature baby was referred from Kapurthala to Amritsar’s Guru Nanak Dev Hospital (GNDH) in an ambulance. Both the infant and the mother are under treatment at the hospital. The condition of the child is said to be critical, and he has been in the intensive care unit (ICU).
The members of Hind Ekta Samaj Sewa Sanstha (HESSS), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), noticed the unusual case and informed the police. The Ludhiana-based organisation members work to provide free medicine to needy patients.
“On Friday, when we reached the hospital from Ludhiana to provide help to needy patients, we noticed an unusual case. A minor girl carrying a pre-mature baby, and her father came to the hospital in an ambulance. Doctors of the hospital also informed us that the girl was a needy patient and needed our support,” said Kumari Jyoti, a member of the NGO.
“She was only 12-year-old and pregnant for the last seven months, but her father was unaware about this. When we tried to find out more, they told us that the baby was born on Friday morning. I informed the other members of the team and the police. The baby is pre-mature, and his weight is around 800 gm. He is in the ICU and his condition is critical. The condition of the mother is normal,” she said.
The NGO chairman, Santosh Kumar said, “The victim girl told us that she was raped when she used to go out in the open for defecation. She told us that she can identify the accused by face but doesn’t know his name. She also seems to be afraid of some threats.”
{{/usCountry}}The NGO chairman, Santosh Kumar said, “The victim girl told us that she was raped when she used to go out in the open for defecation. She told us that she can identify the accused by face but doesn’t know his name. She also seems to be afraid of some threats.”
{{/usCountry}}He said according to the victim and her father, she delivered the baby in a Kapurthala hospital before being referred to Amritsar.
“According to the girl, her mother had left her and her father a few years ago,” he added. He demanded strict action against the accused.
The senior superintendent of police (SSP), Kapurthala, Rajpal Singh Sandhu said they have registered a case under the POCSO Act. “We have launched an investigation into the case. Primarily, we are ensuring proper treatment of the victim girl and her baby,” he added.