PM deeply disturbed over five-year-old girl's rape

New Delhi, April 19 (IANS) "Deeply disturbed" over the "shameful" sexual assault on a five year-old girl in Delhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday urged society to "look within and work to root out the evil of rape".

"The prime minister is deeply disturbed over the shameful incident in which a five-year-old child in Delhi was sexually abused and is now fighting for her life in hospital," said an official statement here.

The prime minister told Delhi Lieutenant Governor Tejendra Khanna to ensure that appropriate medical care was being provided to the victim, it said.

According to the statement, the prime minister, who also saw visuals of the "completely unacceptable treatment" meted out by police officers to some women protesting against this incident, told Khanna to ensure strictest possible action was taken against the erring officials.

As television channels flashed the incident, Delhi Police Assistant Commissioner of Police Bani Singh Ahlawat, posted at Khajuri Khas in east Delhi, slapped Class 12 student Beenu Rawat. He has been suspended from his post.