New Delhi: A 13-year-old Muslim girl was allegedly raped and left bleeding behind a government guest house in Uttar Pradesh’s Kannauj district.
Videos of the girl, bleeding and pleading for help from onlookers, went viral on social media platforms. She can be seen trying to snap her fingers as she tries to get help from bystanders. The clip shows several people busy making videos even as she cries for assistance.
In yet another clip, a police officer is seen carrying the child away in his arms. She is currently admitted at a hospital in Kanpur. According to sources, an initial probe has shown that the accused is known to the girl. Sources also said that the accused had hit the girl on the head with a brick.
“The incident took place in an isolated area, behind a broken wall outside the PWD guest house. The minor has been seen with the accused, walking near her house, around 800 metres away,” the source said.
Speaking to media, Kannauj Superintendent of Police S.P. Kunwar Anupam Singh said an FIR was registered after the minor went missing Sunday noon and was found that evening in an injured condition. But the accused is yet to be arrested. Charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) and section 307 (attempt to murder) of the IPC has been added in the FIR.
“The minor was critically injured and was rushed by the police officer to the nearest hospital and later referred to a Kanpur facility. She is recovering. Her condition is better than before,” the SP said.
The SP also confirmed to media about the authenticity of the now viral videos.
“The family informed the police that the girl had gone missing after she stepped out to go to the market and didn’t return. She was found injured Sunday evening. The family said they suspect that someone had tried to sexually assault her and the accused left her injured after she resisted,” the officer said.
The accused, according to sources, has been seen with the minor in multiple CCTV footage in the area. “Analysis of the CCTV footage suggests that the accused is known to the minor. They have been seen walking together and talking to each other. He is from the nearby area itself,” the SP said.
The identity of the accused has been withheld as he hasn’t been arrested, the officer said. “Further investigation is on. All efforts being made to trace the accused,” the officer said. The Print
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