2-yr-old girl raped, one held

Tribune News Service|
New Delhi, November 18

A two-year-old homeless girl was allegedly kidnapped and raped by a man, who later dumped her near the tracks of Old Delhi Railway Station. The accused, a 24-year-old drug addict, identified as Anil, was arrested today morning, police said on Sunday.

The girl is said to have been kidnapped by the accused on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday while she was sleeping with her mother on a footpath at north Delhi’s Kotwali .

It was around 2.30 am on Saturday the woman woke up to find her daughter missing and started looking for her. She approached police around 10 am the same day following which a kidnapping case was registered.

On Saturday, the police learnt that a baby girl had been admitted to a hospital in central Delhi and subsequently, she was identified as the one who was kidnapped from Kotwali. The child was rescued by a team of police personnel.

Upon enquiry, it was confirmed that the child had been sexually assaulted and had to undergo a surgery for her injuries.

The police identified the accused with the help of CCTV footage in the area. Thereafter, a trap was laid at several temples and gurdwara where street dwellers usually go for food to nab the accused.

As per the police, the accused used to collect garbage for a living and also worked as a waiter during wedding season. Three months ago, he was arrested in a theft case in Haridwar.

‘Despite a law, no rapist given death in Delhi’

DCW chairperson Swati Maliwal, who met the child in the hospital, said no rapist of children have been sentenced to death till date despite a law for death penalty to rapists of children enforced following her fast. This has failed to instil fear among criminals and deter sexual crimes, she added.

“PM @narendramodi ji's cabinet promised during my Anshan that within 3 months they will increase police resources, accountability & fast track courts so that rapists shall be given death within 6 months. I broke my fast on this promise. Till date, nothing done by Centre. Shameful!” she tweeted.