4-year-old girl raped by 21-year-old uncle in Buldhana dist, critical

Buldhana: A four-year-old girl suffered critical injuries after being sexually assaulted by her uncle at a village in Sangrampur tehsil of Buldhana district and is being treated at the govt medical college and hospital (GMCH) in Akola. The girl received several stitches "near her private parts" and may need prolonged treatment.

The incident, which happened in Sonala police limits, has sparked outrage in the district, with locals and social organizations demanding capital punishment for the 21-year-old accused. Sonala police station in-charge Chandrakant Patil said a case has been registered for rape and under sections of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The accused, who fled after committing the heinous crime on February 5, was arrested by Sonala police from Doiphodiya village in Madhya Pradesh a day later. "The accused was produced in a local court which remanded him to two-day police custody. He is now lodged in jail," said Patil.

The victim's parents work as caretakers at an orange orchard in their village. On February 5, they left the village for work when the accused lured the child into the orchard and brutally raped her, said police.

After her parents returned home in the evening, they saw the girl crying. After she narrated the incident to them, the parents took her to the Sonala police station to file a complaint at around 10pm.

Police said the girl was in a serious condition and was immediately sent to a govt hospital. But the doctors there stated the girl was critical and referred her to Akola govt medical college, said police.

"The girl was in tremendous trauma due to injuries suffered in the assault. She has received several stitches. She has been put on antibiotics for five days and will be under observation," said Dr Dolly Bashani, medical officer, Akola GMCH.

NCP MLC Amol Mitkari, who met the survivor's family at GMCH Akola, called for stringent punishment for the accused and even demanded his encounter.