Hunt launched for 2nd man, protests across capital

Investigators today launched a hunt for a second person in the rape of a five-year-old girl after an arrested man spoke about the role of another man in the incident over which protests here demanding the removal of Police Commissioner erupted for a third day.

As the anger over the gruesome rape spilled onto the capital's streets, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said collective efforts were needed to root out such "depravity" from society.

"The gruesome assault on a little child a few days back reminds us of the need to work collectively to root out this sort of depravity from our society," Singh said.

The girl is "gradually" recovering and there is "no danger" to her life though it will take another two weeks to discharge her from the hospital, doctors at AIIMS said.

On a day of flip-flop by Delhi Police on the issue of the role of second person, the arrested accused Manoj Kumar was produced before a court and agreed for a test identification parade. The duty magistrate sent him to judicial custody till May four.

Earlier in the day, police announced that they will produce Kumar, who was arrested from his in-laws' house in Bihar's Muzaffarpur yesterday, in court tomorrow before the expiry of transit remand granted by a Bihar court.

Police had in a statement earlier in the day denied "rumours" of arresting a second accused or "looking" for him.

Sources said Kumar had taken the name of the second person's presence at the time of the incident with Delhi Police as well as Bihar Police during questioning.

In the evening, a senior police official said they were probing whether the second suspect is involved in the rape or whether he helped Kumar in fleeing the capital on April 15 soon after the rape.

The day witnessed outraged students and women staging demonstrations at India Gate, Police Headquarters and near the residences of the Prime Minister and Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

Placard-wielding protesters also gathered at AIIMS, where the girl is undergoing treatment, and burnt the effigy of Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar demanding his sacking.

Traffic was disrupted at ITO and India Gate in the evening as the number of protesters swelled.

More than 100 people, who staged protests at PHQ and near the residences of Singh and Gandhi, were detained and later released. Rapid Action Force personnel were deployed near the residence of the Prime Minister and PHQ.