PATNA: A 50-year-old man was arrested for allegedly raping a toddler in a slum area of Patna in the early hours of Tuesday. The incident took place on Monday evening when the two-year-old girl was playing outside her shanty. The accused, who was her neighbour, took the girl to an abandoned cottage at some distance and raped her. Hearing the girl’s screams, the locals gathered and rescued the minor, who was covered in blood. The accused, however, managed to escape. Upon receiving the information, the police reached the spot and admitted the girl to NMCH-Patna, where she was undergoing treatment. Patna City’s sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) I, Atulesh Jha, said that the accused, Ravindra Manjhi, was arrested by the police around 12.30am and was forwarded to jail on Tuesday. “The incident happened between 8pm and 9pm when the girl was playing alone outside her hut. The accused lured her and took her to another hut about 20 metres away. When he was committing the crime, the locals gathered after hearing the girl’s cries. Her family also reached the spot, and she was taken to the hospital for treatment,” he said. “On the information, the police arrested the accused from near the bus stand, and his medical test was done at NMCH. Later, he was produced in court on Tuesday and forwarded to jail,” the SDPO said. The accused was booked under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including the POCSO Act. The SHO said, “The girl’s condition is stable now. Her medical test was also conducted. The FSL team was also called to the crime spot to collect the evidence, and their clothes have been preserved for further investigation.” (The victim’s identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault)
