Three-year-old girl abducted, raped

Bhopal, Aug 31 (PTI) A three-year-old Dalit girl wasallegedly abducted and raped by an unidentified person beforebeing dumped near a bridge here today, police said. The girl has been admitted to a hospital and is in acritical condition, police said. "The minor, who lives with her parents in a slum nearthe railway station, had gone missing around 11 pm last night.Though her parents carried out a thorough search, they failedto find her," Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) RajeshSingh Chandel said. "However, the minor was found crying near the bridge -Pul Patra – under Aishbagh police station area here thismorning by people, who alerted the police," the officer said. The minor was admitted to Sultania hospital in acritical condition, where the doctors treating her confirmedthat she has been raped, Chandel added. Unidentified accused has been booked under IPCsections 376 (rape) and 363 (kidnap) and under the ProtectionOf Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, he said. According to the officer, the victim’s family had cometo Bhopal in search of livelihood from Mahoba in Uttar Pradesha fortnight ago. The officer said that the girl, whose father is aDalit and mother a tribal, was in a state of shock. "We are trying to talk to her to get information aboutthe accused so that he can be nabbed at the earliest," hesaid. Further investigation into the case is on. PTI LAL MASNP MRJBAS