Second rape in Surat in 3 days; victim: 4-year-old

Barely three days after a teenage girl was gangraped in Surat, there has been another rape in the district. A four-year-old girl was raped by a youth in a village near Palsana in Surat district late on Saturday night. The accused, who happens to be the victim’s neighbour, was caught red-handed by the girl’s mother. He was later caught by villagers and handed over to the police.

The girl, Pinki (name changed), a resident of Hospital Falia in Kanad village near Palsana, was playing near her house on Saturday evening when Dashrath Halpati, 20, abducted her and took her to his house. Pinki’s mother, Jigisha, who had been looking for her, heard her cry and rushed to Halpati’s house.

When she saw that Halpati was raping her daughter, she immediately shouted for help. He neighbours arrived immediately but Halpati fled from the spot. He was, however, nabbed by some villagers on the outskirts of Kanad and handed over to the police.

Meanwhile, the Pandesara police were successful in arresting the two youths accused of gangraping a 14-year-old girl on Thursday.