2 juveniles apprehended in connection with toddler's rape in Delhi

New Delhi: Two juveniles have been apprehended today in connection with the rape of a two-and-a-half-year-old girl at west Delhi's Nihal Vihar area. Both the accused, aged around 17 years, live in the same neighbourhood and were known to the girl's family, police said.

On Friday night, they took advantage of powercut in the area and allegedly abducted the girl, after which at least one of them raped her, a police official said.

However, the accused did not turn out to be the duo whose image was captured in a CCTV footage, in which two persons were seen taking a girl in a motorbike.

"More than 15 teams were formed in this case and around 250 locals were questioned throughout the night, after which the police zeroed in on a few and later the accused juveniles were apprehended," said Joint Commissioner of Police (Southwest) Dependra Pathak.

The persons who were seen taking a child on a motorbike were identified, but they turned out to be locals who were travelling with the daughter of one of the two riders and had nothing to do with the incident, said Pathak.

It is yet to be verified whether only one of the accused juveniles raped the girl or both took turns, Pathak added.

According to the police, the accused and the victim were at a Ramlila event in the neighbourhood on Friday night.

The girl was with her grandmother when she went missing after a 10-minute-long powercut in the locality around 11.30 PM.

After a few hours, neighbours found the girl bleeding profusely and crying at a park in the locality and informed the police.

The girl was rushed to Sanjay Gandhi Memorial hospital where she was admitted, The hospital authorities confirmed rape.

A case under relevant sections of IPC and POCSO Act was registered immediately and a manhunt was launched by the cops.