Four-month-old girl succumbs to injuries after being 'raped by 30-year-old cousin' at a wedding
A four-month-old baby, who was allegedly raped by her 30-year-old cousin, has died in India. The victim's family had been celebrating a relative's wedding ceremony in the state of Uttar Pradesh on Sunday night when the alleged rapist asked the baby's mother — his aunt — if he could take her away to play, the Times of India reports.
The baby was found two hours later by a search party lying unconscious on the wedding venue's lawn. The accused was sitting next to her.
The suspected child rapist, identified only as Pappu, fled from the scene but was apprehended the following day.
The brutalized infant was rushed to a trauma center, where doctors declared her dead upon arrival. Her devastated father subsequently filed a complaint with the authorities that it was his nephew who had raped and murdered his daughter.
At around 7 pm on the night of the wedding ceremony, the baby's mother was cradling her in her lap when the horror cousin asked her if he could play with the child. The unsuspecting mother agreed, but family members began to panic after there was no sign of the pair at 9 pm.
A search party was initiated with several villagers assisting the anxious manhunt. Unfortunately, the search ended with the tragic discovery of the unconscious baby.
The baby's parents rushed to the spot as the villagers broke down in tears and cried they had found the girl. Upon identifying the victim as their own child, the parents rushed to a polyclinic hospital, which referred them to a trauma center, where doctors pronounced she was brought in dead.
The cousin, who was at the scene when they found the baby, fled from villagers amid the horrifying frenzy. However, he was tracked down by police the following day.
According to The Times of India, Deputy Poice Commissioner Sarvashresth Tripathi said the father had filed a case of murder, rape and kidnap to murder in connection with the crimes. Meanwhile, officials are yet to confirm if the baby was raped pending an autopsy.