Raipur: A 10-year-old girl was allegedly raped by an ambulance driver in Chhattisgarh`s Kanker district on December 23, police said today.
However, apparently filled with contrition, the accused, identified as Kiran Kumar, allegedly tried to commit suicide by setting himself on fire after the incident, they said.
"A case of rape was registered against Kiran, a driver with Sanjeevani 108 ambulance service, last evening on the complaint of the minor girl in Amabeda police station," said Kanker SP RN Dash.
According to the officer, the incident occurred on the night of December 23 after the victim`s mother, a native of Amabeda village, was shifted to Kanker district hospital in the ambulance driven by Kiran.
"Kiran Kumar reportedly took the ill woman to hospital in the ambulance and returned to the patient`s house. Kiran, who was in an inebriated condition, asked the 10-year-old girl to accompany him saying her mother is serious and needs her at the hospital," Dash said.
However, Kiran allegedly took the minor girl to an isolated place in a forest area and raped her, the SP said.
He said relatives of the victim failed to inform police about the incident even after she confided in them on December 24.
The incident was reported to police on Friday, following which medical examination of the girl was conducted, which confirmed rape, the officer said.
When a police team was sent to arrest Kiran it came to know that he had allegedly attempted suicide at his residence on Thursday and suffered minor burns.
A case under section 376 (rape) of IPC and Prevention of Children from Sexual Offence Act has been registered against the accused, Dash said, adding that Kiran would be arrested after he gets discharge from hospital.
