3-yr-old raped in Chhattisgarh, accused arrested

Raipur, Jun 4: A three-year-old

was allegedly raped by a bicycle mechanic in

's Balod district on Wednesday, police said.

The victim, a resident of Bade Jungera village, had gone to the cycle repairing shop of Deenbandhu (27) along with his 6-year-old brother to get their cycle repaired, Daundi Lohara Station House Office NP Chandrakar said.

After the repairing work, victim's brother left the place leaving behind her sister who was playing there. On finding the girl alone, Deenbandhu took her inside his house, which is located just opposite to his shop, and sexually assaulted her, the SHO said.

On returning to her house, the victim narrated the incident to her parents following which they lodged a complaint with police. Later, angry villagers thrashed the accused mechanic and handed him over to police, Chandrakar said.

The accused was booked under Section 376 (rape) of IPC and Section 4 of Protection of Child from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), he added.

The victim and her parents faced further difficulties in absence of proper medical facility in the district.

The SHO said the victim was shifted to Balod district hospital as there were no medical examination facilities for rape victims in Daundi Lohara.

When police personnel did not find a gynaecologist in Balod, they took her to Gunderdehi hospital from where she was referred to Durg district hospital, the SHO said.

Finally, her medical examination was conducted at Durg district hospital. Her medical report is awaited, he added. Durg is at a distance of 100 kilometres from Balod district.

PTI