In a ghastly incident in IT city Bengaluru, a toddler died on Saturday after she was allegedly sexually assaulted by predators. According to Police, the sexual assault took place on August 17 but came to light only after the girl was taken to hospital. Doctors found sexual injuries on her body. The police have arrested care-taker of the girl Chandana and her friend Mallikarjun. The incident happened in south Bengaluru.
Sources in the police said the child’s mother had moved to Bengaluru from Coorg three months ago after her husband died. When she began working for a private firm, she needed day care for her daughter and found Chandana, a resident of Balaji Nagar, who agreed to take care of the child.
A four-year-old girl, who was allegedly raped, had her private parts assaulted and then left unfed for days succumbed to her injuries in Bengaluru’s St John’s Hospital on Saturday.
Initial medical reports suggest cuts to her private parts, possibly from a sharp object. Police are now awaiting the post mortem report to ascertain the nature of the injuries. They also say that delay in providing timely medical help to the girl, who was malnourished and severely ill owing to an infection caused following the sexual assault, resulted in her death.
SD Sharanappa, Deputy Commissioner of Police, South said that the two suspects — Mallikarjuna and Chandana — have been arrested under sections of POCSO and have been sent to judicial custody.
“During the two months she stayed with Chandana, the woman has not taken care of the child and has even mistreated her. The four-year-old had ulcers in her stomach and was in poor health,” said Sharanappa.
Mallikarjuna, the prime suspect in the case and the paramour of Chandana, used to visit the house frequently. He allegedly raped the child when Chandana was not at home. “We have to investigate whether she was raped repeatedly,” said the DCP.
“The family members were not satisfied with the treatment provided at the hospitals. However, they have not given us any complaint of medical negligence so far,” said Sharanappa.
V Ugrappa, chairman of Committee on Prevention of Atrocities and Sexual Violence Against Women and Children, said that a report will be sought from the police on the matter.