Patna: A two-year-old girl was allegedly kidnapped and raped by a youth in Gopalganj district late Monday evening, said police. Irate people caught hold of the accused and handed him over to the police.The incident occurred when the child’s mother put her to sleep in the rented house. Due to a sudden power outage, she left the room for a short while. Taking advantage of the darkness, the accused, a 25-year-old painter living in a rented house across the street, allegedly entered the house and abducted the sleeping toddler, and took her to his own residence.
When the mother returned and found her daughter missing, she frantically searched the area. She soon heard the child’s cry coming from the neighbour’s house. Rushing there, she caught the accused while he was attempting to flee. She immediately raised an alarm.Hearing the commotion, furious local residents gathered at the spot. They overpowered the youth, beat him up severely, and later handed him over to the police.The accused was identified as Mohammad Sariq from Uttar Pradesh. He worked as a painter and resided in the rented house opposite the victim’s family.SDPO-I, Pranjal Tripathi, said police arrested the suspect and forwarded him to jail on Tuesday. “The toddler was rushed to sadar model hospital, where she is currently undergoing treatment and medical examination. A case was registered on the statement of the girl’s mother. We are investigating the matter, and the FSL team has collected evidence from the crime spot,” he said.
