In a shocking incident, two minor girls – aged two-and-a-half and five – were allegedly gang-raped in Delhi on Friday night. Both girls have sustained serious injuries and are said to be in a "critical" condition.
The incidents come just a week after a four-year-old girl was raped in Delhi.
In the first case, the toddler was allegedly raped by two men who abducted her on a motorcycle in west Delhi's Nangloi area. Her mother said that the girl "was abducted from a ramlila event near their house", NDTV reported.
She has been admitted to Sanjay Gandhi Hospital and is said to be "bleeding profusely".
In the other incident, three men raped the five-year-old in east Delhi's Anand Vihar area. The girl was alone at home when her neighbour took her to his house and allegedly raped her along with two other friends, NDTV reported.
When people of the area saw the girl coming out of the house of the accused, they informed the police about it. "She was crying. Her clothes were soaked with blood," one of them said.
While no arrests have been made in the first case, all the three accused in the second incident have been arrested.
Reacting to the incidents, Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal said "sexual assaults had assumed epidemic proportions in the city of Delhi", the Hindustan Times reported. The DCW chief said she "intends to meet Delhi's Lieutenant governor and police commissioner to seek action".
"The girl was gang-raped and dumped in the park with severe injuries and bite-marks all over her body," Maliwal added.
Woke up to 2 incidents of gangrape of a 2.5 year old n 5 year old. Bleeding not stopping for 2.5 year old. On way to Sanjay Gandhi Hospital
— Swati Maliwal (@SwatiJaiHind) October 17, 2015
When will Delhi wake up? Till when will girls continue to be brutalized in Indian capital. Gangrape of 2.5 year n 5 year old. Shameful.
— Swati Maliwal (@SwatiJaiHind) October 17, 2015