A 15-year-old girl delivered a premature baby inside the washroom of a government school in Delhi. The 51-year old man, who has been raping her over the past one year, was arrested by the Delhi police.
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The victim, who is a class 10 student, went to give an exam at the school located in Mukherjee Nagar of Northwest Delhi on Thursday. The minor reportedly complained of a stomach ache and went to the washroom, where she gave birth to the baby.
"On reaching the spot, we were informed that the girl was taking a compartmental exam when she excused herself to go to the washroom citing 'stomach pain'. She delivered the baby inside the washroom," Indian Express quoted a police officer as saying.
The school authorities immediately rushed her to the hospital and also informed the police.
According to the police, the minor's neighbour, who has been identified as Abdul Gaffar, had raped her four to five times in the last seven months. "He would call her to his room under some pretext, and sexually assault her," said the officer. Gaffar would give her Rs 500 to Rs 800 each time to keep the victim from speaking out.
Gaffar was later identified by the victim and was arrested on Saturday. The accused is a native of Bihar and used to drive auto rickshaw in Delhi to earn a living.
The accused also confessed to giving the girl a few abortion pills when she complained of stomach aches. However, the pills led to complications and she delivered a 26-week-old baby.
"Even after she started showing signs of pregnancy, the girl's family members did not realise that something was amiss. Instead, they thought she was suffering from gas-related issues," the officer told an English daily.
Though the minor and the baby are currently stable, the police are currently investigating the crime. A case has also been registered under Section 376 of the IPC (Punishment for rape) and several sections of the POCSO Act in the Mukherjee Nagar police station.
