Amid outrage over the brutal rape of a four-year-old girl in north-west Delhi, police said on Sunday that they have questioned over 100 people, even as the girl’s family claimed that she had named a man who used to offer her toffees.
The father of the girl suspected the role of two men, including the one named by the child, and claimed that they had offered the girl food and money before picking her up.
Four-year-old girl who is battling for her life in Delhi’s Safduarjung hospital is suspected to be sexually assaulted by more than one person who also attacked her with blade and sharp-edged weapons on her private parts. Her lower part was bitten and cut marks were on her face. Police said that they have questioned over 100 people, even as the girl's family claimed that she had named a man who used to offer her toffees and was instrumental in her abduction.
According to grandfather of the girl, who spotted her in bleeding condition lying about 100 meters away from their home, there are two Government liquor shops (thekaas) near their home due to which hundreds of persons from other areas come and consume liquour in the open space. "We are too poor to object but several times we have seen people consuming alcohol despite police's presence here," said the grandfather.
"People come and get influenced under alcohol. They fight and sometimes molest our young women also. We could not do anything," the grandfather added.
The father of the girl suspected the role of two men, including the one named by the child, and claimed that they had offered the girl food and money before picking her up.
The girl belongs to a poor family. Her father is a part time painter. The family lives in Keshavpuram slums for the past several years, where at least 400 jhuggis are located. She has an elder sister and seven months old brother.
The girl was abducted when she was playing outside her home around 7.30 pm. After a few hours, she was discovered lying near the house.
Father of the girl has said that "she has named one man Rahul who used to offer
her toffees."
"On the night of October 9, two persons came with a planning. One of them gave her noodles and a Rs 10 note. He picked up the girl in his arms and handed her over to another person and vanished," the father said.
"Rahul was the one who handed over the girl to the other unidentified person. Once police catches Rahul, he will reveal name of the accused," father of the victim said.
Police said they have registered a case but were still to identify the accused and the number of persons involved in the crime. "There might be a possibility of involvement of more than one persons," said an officer.
Police said that they have so far picked up over 100 suspects for questioning in connection with the rape which took place in Keshavpuram area on October 9.
Police have also detained two youths who live in Rampur, a neighbouring locality where the incident had occurred.
When contacted, Dr A. K. Rai, medical superintendent, Safdarjung Hospital, said: "Presently, the girl is stable and it will take time for her to recover. We are monitoring every movement in the health status of the child."
"She was admitted in the High Dependency Unit of Safadarjung Hospital at 8 PM on October 9. The girl was brought to the hospital in a very bad condition with her private parts torn apart and severely injured. It took three-hours for us to perform the colostomy surgery," said the doctor.
Sympathising with the 4-year-old girl and her family, the2012 Delhi gang-rape victim Nirbhaya's mother Asha Devi said, "TV channels show it and papers publish it but it ends after that. Neither the government nor judiciary is affected, only those whose children are victims suffer."
"The system exists only on the papers and nothing is happening. Unless the government, judiciary and police wake up, such crimes will continue," she added.