7-month-old infant fights for life after being raped on pavement
Times of India | 5 December 2024
Kolkata: A seven-month-old child was allegedly abducted from beside her parents, all sleeping on a pavement in Burtolla, and raped last Friday. Police have started an investigation under POCSO Act and checking CCTV footage but the culprit is yet to be identified though at least a dozen people were questioned.
It was around 1.45pm on Nov 30 that a resident of the Burtolla area noticed an infant howling on the pavement in front of his home, with no one around, said police. The person immediately called the police. Around the same time, the infant's parents had approached police, searching for their child. A probe into the two incidents soon reunited the infant with her parents. The child was immediately taken to R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, where doctors found multiple injuries on the infant's private parts and scratches all over her body. The child was believed to be sexually assaulted, said police.
The condition of the child, still undergoing treatment at PICU in RG Kar, was stable, said police. A medical board has been formed for the child's treatment. "The child's condition is now stable. The bleeding has stopped, and she has started to eat. We have set up a team of four doctors, who are giving their best care. Her condition should improve further in the next few days," said an official at the hospital, adding that they were taking utmost care of the infant.
The child's family told police the baby was sleeping with them on the pavement when she was abducted and sexually assaulted. Initial reports pointed the needle of suspicion to a vagrant. The incident caused uproar in the area, with residents demanding immediate arrest of the accused. "When the doctors went on the strike, one of their main demands was to stop a repetition of incidents like the RG Kar crime. This incident validates the legitimacy of that demand," said a resident of the area.
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