11-Year-Old Girl Abducted, Raped in Gujarat, One Held

Bharuch: A labourer has been arrested for allegedly abducting an 11-year-old girl from near her house and raping her in an industrial area in Gujarat's Bharuch district on Monday, police said on Tuesday.

The police on Monday arrested the 36-year-old accused, a native of Jharkhand, for the assault that took place in the Jhagadia industrial area, an official said.

The accused lived next to the girl's hut and worked in the same factory as her father, Deputy Superintendent of Police Kushal Oza told reporters.

He said the girl sustained serious internal injuries in the sexual assault and was referred to SSG Hospital in Vadodara after undergoing primary treatment at the civil hospital.

"The accused abducted the girl when she was playing near her hut and took her into the bushes. He raped her and fled the spot, leaving her bleeding. The girl's mother found her after hearing her cries for help. The child is undergoing treatment at SSG Hospital, and her condition is stable," Oza said.

He said police questioned some suspects and finally zeroed in on the accused, who has admitted to his crime.

"He knows the girl's father, as they work in the same factory as labourers. The accused is married and has two children. He has been arrested on the charges of rape, abduction and under relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act," the officer said.