Man held for raping 4-year-old neighbour in Shahbad Dairy

As soon as the news that the minor girl was raped by the accused, angry locals allegedly set his house on fire on Wednesday night

A four-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a neighbour at Shahbad Dairy in northwest Delhi on Wednesday afternoon by luring her with a chocolate. The 22-year-old accused was arrested in the early hours of Thursday, police officers aware of the matter said on Friday.

Police said that the suspect used to work at a local eatery and was arrested from a hideout in Shahbad Dairy. (Representational image)

As soon as the news that the minor girl was raped by the accused, angry locals allegedly set his house on fire on Wednesday night, they added.

“The suspect used to work at a local eatery and was arrested from a hideout in Shahbad Dairy,” said deputy commissioner of police (outer north) Ravi Kumar Singh.

Police said that their control room received a call around 9pm on Wednesday, and the caller said that he suspected that his daughter was sexually assaulted.

“The girl was taken to Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital for medical examination and was counselled by the members of the Delhi commission for women before she was handed over to her parents,” a senior police officer said on condition of anonymity.

Around 6pm, the girl returned home, the father added. “She had ₹2 in her hand and said that the neighbour took her with him and gave her a chocolate,” he said.

In the next three hours, the girl vomited twice. “When we asked her, she shared what the neighbour did to her. We reported the matter to police. She also took us and police to the spot where she was raped,” the father said, adding that the accused dropped the girl near her house.

Police said that a case under section 137(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 6/18 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and 3(2) Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was registered.

“Multiple teams were formed immediately and several raids were conducted at the possible locations of the accused. He was apprehended on Thursday morning,” the officer said.

After the locals allegedly burnt the suspect’s house, the girl’s father said, “After returning from the hospital we were informed that people were so angry that they burnt the room he lived in.”