Three-year-old girl raped in Sargodha

Police arrest suspect from victim’s neighbourhood

SARGODH:

A three-year-old girl was raped in Tiwana Park, a suburb of Sargodha, police said. Police had arrested the suspect.

The toddler was shifted to hospital in a critical condition, they said.

The victim, a resident of Tiwana Park, had been playing with other children outside her house when the suspect, who is 16-years-old, also a resident of Tawana Park, allegedly took the toddler inside the house, police said. The suspect allegedly raped the girl.

Police alleged that the suspect threw the girl in the street and fled.

A heavy police force arrived at the house of the victim as soon as they were informed about the incident.

DPO Muhammad Faisal Kamran had formed special teams under his supervision to arrest the suspect.

The SHO of Urban Area, Afzal Goraya, and his team arrested the suspect in a neighbouring village within an hour.

According to a police spokesman, Sheikh Safdar, the children who had been playing with the victim had allegedly identified the suspect as the one who had taken the girl with him.

SHO Afzal Goraya said that police were interrogating the suspect.

Doctors at the Faisal Masood Teaching Hospital said the girl's condition was out of danger.

According to hospital sources, best medical facilities were being provided to the girl.

The girl's mother said that her daughter starts crying intermittently.

An uncle of the victim said that they had gone out to work when the incident took place.

He said that the suspect lived in their neighbourhood.

Police spokesperson Sheikh Safdar said that since the age of the suspect was less than 18, so a case against him would cover the provisions that dealt with juvenile offenders.

Meanwhile, the Caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab, Mohsin Naqvi, arrived at the DHQ Teaching Hospital to inquire after the health of the victim.

Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister said that the government pledged to utilise all available resources to ensure justice.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 21^st, 2023.