SC 'concerned' over 8-month-old's rape

Expressing concern over the rape of an eight-month-old baby girl allegedly by her cousin here, the Supreme Court on Wednesday directed AIIMS to send two doctors to visit the child in the hospital and assess if the she can be shifted to premier medical facility.

A bench, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, ordered that in case the infant could not be shifted, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) doctors shall tender personal assistance to the baby.

The court said that it is "very much concerned" about the alleged sexual assault on the infant and sought a report from the doctors on her condition by Thursday.

"We are more concerned about the health of the infant," said the bench, after which the Central government assured it that child will get the best medical care.

The court also asked a member of the National Legal Services Authority to accompany the doctors when they visit the infant.

The court was hearing a PIL filed by Alakh Alok Srivastava, a practising advocate of the court, who sought directions to the authorities to immediately shift the child to AIIMS and to ensure best possible medical facilities for her.

He said that the external and internal injuries on the child were very severe that she had to undergo a three-hour surgery.

"Presently, she is admitted in a local Delhi hospital in an extremely critical and painful condition, battling for life. The girl belongs to an extremely poor family. Her father works as a labourer and her mother works as a domestic help," said the plea.

The 28-year-old cousin confessed to raping the baby on Sunday under the influence of alcohol.

The child's parents, residents of west Delhi's Netaji Subhash Place, used to go out for work and leave their daughter in the custody of their sister-in-law.

Since it was a Sunday, their sister-in-law's son was at home and when he saw that his mother was not around the accused allegedly forced himself on the baby, the police said.

When the child's mother returned home around 12.30 p.m., she saw blood stains on her daughter's clothes and informed her husband.

The baby was rushed to a hospital where it was found that she had been sexually assaulted and subsequently a case was registered.

The plea sought direction to immediately release compensation of Rs 10 Lakh to the infant's parents and framing of appropriate guidelines that the investigation and trial of the cases involving rape of children below the age of 12, under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act, should be completed maximum within six months from the date of FIR.

--IANS

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