4-Year-Old Raped, Left In Jungle While Family Was Busy At Wedding Ceremony

A man in India was arrested for allegedly raping a 4-year-old girl who was in the area to attend a wedding ceremony with her family.

The incident occurred in the state of Uttar Pradesh on Saturday. The accused, who was identified as Umesh Nishad, was charged under section 376 of the Indian Penal Code. He was also charged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act, police said, The Times of India reported.

Officials said Nishad took the child to a desolate spot in a nearby jungle while her family members were busy during the ceremony. Nishad then raped the girl and tried to strangle her.

"The girl who had gone to attend a wedding function in a locality under Jaspura police station area of the district on Saturday night was found missing during the wee hours of Sunday," Circle Officer Satyaprakash Sharma said. "After a search was conducted by the family members, she was found unconscious in nearby jungles."

Authorities said she was taken to a nearby hospital. The victim's current condition remained unknown as of Sunday. An investigation is underway into the incident, Jagran.com reported [Google Translate].

In another incident last week in eastern state of Jharkhand, a 10-year-old girl was raped and strangled to death by a drunk man. The accused, identified as 40-year-old Shivcharan Soren, was intoxicated while returning home when he spotted the minor girl. He attacked the girl and dragged her behind a building where he raped her. “The accused had consumed liquor while returning home. When he reached the local anganwadi centre at Purandihtola around 9 pm, he saw the girl. He dragged the minor behind the building of the anganwadi centre and raped her,” The Times of India quoted police officials as saying. The man was spotted by local residents who then nabbed him, and handed him over to police. During questioning, the accused said he put a towel in the minor girl's mouth so that she would not call for help. When the girl lost consciousness, he strangled her to death.