Gujarat: 10-month-old baby sexually assaulted by family friend in Bharuch

A 10-month-old girl was raped by a 30-year-old man in Gujarat's Bharuch on Sunday. The crime took place in the accused's neighborhood, where he allegedly sexually assaulted her while taking her to his home.

The man, residing in Panoli village, took the baby away while she was playing with her grandmother, said the police.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Kushal Oza said that the baby was in the courtyard with her grandmother and the man came over and promised to give her wafers in his home. The man then sexually assaulted the girl not far from his house, the official added.

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"When her grandmother heard her cries and rushed there, she found the child bleeding due to injuries on her private parts. She was rushed to Bharuch civil hospital. After registering a case of rape and sexual assault under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the accused was arrested," Oza told PTI.

Outraged locals from the village apprehended the accused man and handed him over to the authorities. The man was a friend of the baby's parents, police said, and used to come to their home frequently to play with the infant, reported NDTV.

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The mother of the child works at a restaurant, and was the one who took her to the hospital. Due to the severity of her injuries and excessive bleeding, the condition of the infant worsened, the report said.

A case under BNS and POCSO Act has been registered and legal proceedings of the case are currently underway. The man will be presented before a magistrate soon.