6-year-old homeless girl abducted and raped in central Delhi, accused held

The child, who lived with her family on a pavement, was found in a pool of blood late on Saturday evening after which she was rushed to a hospital where she underwent a four-hour surgery.

A six-year-old homeless girl was allegedly kidnapped from outside a temple at DDU Marg in central Delhi and raped by a man on Saturday.

Students shout slogans during a protest against the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua near Jammu, in Srinagar, April 16, 2018. (REUTERS File Photo)

The child, who lived with her family on a pavement, was found in a pool of blood late in the evening after which she was rushed to a hospital where she underwent a four-hour surgery. The victim is now out of danger, police said. The police have arrested the accused man. They said another suspect, a transgender, is absconding.

Police said the girl went missing around 6pm on Saturday after which her father, a rickshaw puller, approached police. During a thorough search, the child was found lying on the roadside around 11pm, not far from her residence. She was bleeding from her private parts, police said, and was rushed to a hospital where the sexual assault was confirmed.

“Based on the hints given by the child and questioning locals, the police arrested one Baiju alias Ajay who later confessed to have kidnapped and raped the girl. We suspect one of his transgender friends is also involved in the matter. We are trying to trace him,” said deputy commissioner of police (central) MS Randhava.

On Monday, Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal visited the victim at the hospital. Maliwal tweeted on Monday evening, “She was raped so brutally that despite four hours long operation, her internal organs are damaged! Father rickshaw puller, step mom beggar and family homeless. Request courts to give death to guilty immediately. Seek support from society to help rehab girl.”

She appealed to the Prime Minister to implement the provisions of the recently passed ordinance urgently to ensure that guilty are given the death penalty in this case.