Man arrested for rape of six-year-old in Delhi

New Delhi: A 35-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly raping a six-year-old girl, who was found lying unconscious at a secluded spot in southwest Delhi's Chhawla area, police said on Monday.

The accused, identified as Ashok, is a labourer who was working at a construction site in Baba Haridas Nagar, where the girl lives with her family.

On Friday evening, he allegedly lured the girl with toffees while she was playing outside her house and took her to a secluded spot in Chhawla, where he allegedly raped her, said a police officer.

Ashok, who is a native of Etah in Uttar Pradesh, is also a drug addict and was temporarily living near Baba Haridas Nagar area.

When the girl turned unconscious after the sexual assault, Ashok left her behind the bushes and fled the spot. Locals found the unconscious girl on Saturday morning and raised alarm. She was rushed to Rao Tula Ram Hospital, where doctors confirmed that she was raped, said the officer.

Police immediately registered a case under relevant sections of IPC and the POCSO Act and started scanning missing children records.

It soon came out that the victim was reported missing on Friday evening. The girl's parents, who are both labourers, searched for her for around three hours and when they failed, they approached the police. A case of abduction was registered immediately, said the police officer.

A separate police team was formed and dozens of locals were questioned. Soon it emerged that the girl was last seen with Ashok, walking towards the spot where she was found lying unconscious the next day.

When the police started hunting for Ashok, it emerged that he had not seen since Friday night. Further investigation revealed that he had fled to his native village and the police team was sent there.

When Ashok was questioned, he told the police that he picked up the girl around 7 PM on Friday from outside her house. He was arrested and brought to Delhi yesterday, the officer added.

On Saturday, a four-year-old girl was found brutally raped at northwest Delhi's Keshav Puram area. The girl was also reported missing since Friday evening. She is admitted in a hospital with severe injuries and has gone through a series of complicated surgeries.