Raped, Assaulted, Starved – Four-Year-Old Girl Dies in Bengaluru

Police are awaiting postmortem report to ascertain the injuries on her.

A four-year-old girl, who was allegedly raped, had her private parts assaulted and then left unfed for days succumbed to her injuries in Bengaluru’s St John’s Hospital on Saturday.

The Benglauru police have arrested the alleged rapist and the woman who mistreated the girl.

Initial medical reports suggest cuts to her private parts, possibly from a sharp object. Police are now awaiting the post mortem report to ascertain the nature of the injuries. They also say that delay in providing timely medical help to the girl, who was malnourished and severely ill owing to an infection caused following the sexual assault, resulted in her death.

SD Sharanappa, Deputy Commissioner of Police, South said that the two suspects – Mallikarjuna and Chandana – have been arrested under sections of POCSO and have been sent to judicial custody.

The alleged rape took place in the third week of August. The father of the child had died a few months ago and the family was left homeless, say the police. They also add that the mother of the girl, an immigrant domestic help, had asked a relative of hers – Chandana – to take care of her child for two months.

“During the two months she stayed with Chandana, the woman has not taken care of the child and has even mistreated her. The four-year-old had ulcers in her stomach and was in poor health,” said Sharanappa.

Mallikarjuna, the prime suspect in the case and the paramour of Chandana, used to visit the house frequently. He allegedly raped the child when Chandana was not at home. “We have to investigate whether she was raped repeatedly,” said the DCP.

The alleged rape came to light several days later when the girl developed health issues. Police say that Chandana called the mother of the girl and asked her to take her back. The mother then rushed her to a private hospital, where the girl was given treatment for a stomach ache and she was later taken to Rajiv Gandhi Children’s Hospital.

But it was only after she was taken to St John’s Medical College last week that the alleged sexual assault came to light. A memo was sent to the police by the hospital after they found injuries on her private parts. Based on the memo and a statement from the girl, an FIR was registered and two suspects were arrested.

On Saturday, while undergoing treatment, the girl passed away at 3 am.

“The family members were not satisfied with the treatment provided at the hospitals. However, they have not given us any complaint of medical negligence so far,” said Sharanappa.

V Ugrappa, chairman of Committee on Prevention of Atrocities and Sexual Violence Against Women and Children, said that a report will be sought from the police on the matter. “We have not received any information of medical negligence at this point. We will seek a report and further action will taken based on that,” he said.