A two-year-old girl was allegedly kidnapped and raped by a man, who then left her near the railway tracks of Old Delhi Railway Station, police said on Sunday.
The accused, a 24-year-old drug addict, was arrested Sunday morning, they said.
The girl was allegedly kidnapped by the accused on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday while she was sleeping with her mother on a footpath in a north Delhi area, a senior police officer.
Around 2.30 am on Saturday, the woman found her daughter missing and started looking for her.
As the search did not bear fruit, the woman approached police around 10 am on Saturday following which a kidnapping case was registered, he said.
Around afternoon, police learnt a baby girl had been admitted to a hospital in central Delhi and subsequently, she was identified as the one who was kidnapped, the official said.
It was revealed that she had been sexually assaulted and the accused dumped her near the railway tracks from where she was rescued by a team of police personnel, he said, adding that the girl underwent surgery and is now better.
Police identified the accused by scanning CCTV footage. Following this, a trap was laid at various temples and gurdwara where street-dwellers usually come for food and subsequently the accused was nabbed, the officer said.
The accused used to collect garbage for a living and also worked as a waiter during weddings.
Three months ago, he was arrested in connection with a theft case, the officer added.
Delhi Commission For Women chairperson Swati Maliwal met the girl in the hospital and expressed outrage over the incident.
"1.5 year old homeless girl brutally raped in Delhi. Met her in hospital & can't describe her condition. Her beggar mom is inconsolable. Her cries ring in my head. Thru my Anshan, law 4 death 2 rapist created but till date no rapist given death in Delhi! No fear amongst criminals (sic)," she tweeted.
"PM @narendramodi ji's cabinet promised during my Anshan that within 3 months they will increase police resources, accountability & fast track courts so that rapists shall be given death within 6 months. I broke my fast on this promise. Till date, nothing done by Centre. Shameful!" Maliwal wrote.
She also took a dig at Haryana Chief Minister ML Khattar, who had recently courted controversy over his remarks on rape incidents.
"Want to know from @mlkhattar, this 1.5 year old girl who has been raped in Delhi also filed a false case? What kind of sick mindset he suffers from. If he had even a shred of decency, he would have resigned. His statements have hurt the sentiments of Nirbhayas across the country!" she wrote on Twitter.
Khattar Sunday said his statement had been twisted and asserted there should not be any politics on the issue.
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