3-year-old raped, burnt with cigarette stubs in Govindpuri

NEW DELHI: In south-east Delhi’s Govindpuri, inside a small one room house, a three-year-old is in constant pain. The minor’s family is aghast. They are yet to come

NEW DELHI: In south-east Delhi’s Govindpuri, inside a small one room house, a three-year-old is in constant pain. The minor’s family is aghast. They are yet to come to terms with the fact that their only daughter was sexually assaulted.

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The three- year- old girl, daughter of a construction labourer, was sexually assaulted, beaten and stubbed with cigarettes by her uncle for two days —August 28 and 29. The man, who was earlier arrested for rape in Mehrauli and was out on bail, has been re-arrested.

The minor girl, who was admitted to a city hospital for treatment, has been discharged. At least 8-10 cigarette burn marks on her neck, arm, thighs and back betrays the horror that she went through.

“My daughter has stopped talking to us after the incident,” her father said.

On the afternoon of August 28, the child’s uncle had taken her out on the pretext of taking her to a park. The girl’s mother said she had resisted the idea, but the man said he would bring her back soon. “He took her away saying he would take her to a park and play with her. My daughter was not well, so I asked my son to go and bring her back. He refused to send her back saying she was sleeping and he would bring her back the next morning. The next morning too, my daughter did not return. When I went to his house in the afternoon, it was locked,” she said.

In the evening, when the family went to the man’s house again, they found the child unconscious on the floor, wrapped in a blanket. “As soon as I picked her up, she hugged me. The man and his wife were both at home. I brought my daughter home and saw the bruises. I knew something was wrong and rushed her to AIIMS,” said her father.

At the hospital, doctors said the child had been assaulted and informed the police. The girl told the doctors that she was taken to a park at night and assaulted there. She was then tortured for a day. “The doctors confirmed sexual assault and also found burns inflicted on her body. It appears that she was pinched and thrashed. A medical report was submitted, based on which a case of rape was registered,” a police officer said.

Police registered a case under POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act) and arrested the minor’s uncle. His wife, who was allegedly present when the girl was assaulted, has also been arrested.