Amidst the rising public outrage across the country over Kathua and Unnao rape cases, another horrific incident of child rape and murder has been reported in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. An eight-month-old girl was raped and murdered in the wee hours on Friday in the Rajwada area.
Indore: Girl under one year of age killed after allegedly being raped in MG Road police station limits. Police reached the spot after getting information that a child’s body is lying unattended with blood spots around it. One arrested #MadhyaPradesh pic.twitter.com/FSvno5Mwr4
— ANI (@ANI) April 21, 2018
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The girl was reportedly kidnapped while she was sleeping next to her parents. She was taken to an empty basement where she was raped and subsequently murdered. A CCTV camera recorded the accused carrying the baby on his shoulder. Her body was later found by a shopkeeper who had gone to open his shop, reports NDTV.
As per post-mortem reports, the girl died of head injuries. The girl’s family belonged to a nomadic community and her father was a balloon seller. The 21-year-old accused, who was known to the family, was later arrested.
Credit: Indian Express / Kevin DSouza
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Incidentally, Union Cabinet on Saturday approved an ordinance to allow courts to award death penalty to those convicted of raping children up to 12 years of age. The Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018 seeks to mend the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Evidence Act, the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Apart from the death penalty, the ordinance also proposes speedy investigation and trial of rape cases, an increase in the minimum quantum of punishment for rape convicts and the scrapping of anticipatory bail if the victim is a minor.
Last year, the Madhya Pradesh Assembly unanimously passed a bill awarding death sentence to those who are accused in cases of rape and gangrape of girls below 12 years.
(Feature image is representational | Source: PTI)
