AKOLA: A 13-year-old blind girl gave birth to a female child at civil hospital, Akola, on Thursday night after she was admitted here with eight-and-a-half-months pregnancy from the adjoining Washim district. The rape victim , who had been born blind, is a std VI student of Gobra Naik School for Blind, Deaf and Dumb in IUDP area of Washim city.

The rape accused, Subhash Jadhav (36), a resident of Vitthal Nagar, Mehkar, district Buldhana, is a watchman at the school. He was arrested on the basis of a complaint filed by the girl's mother and remanded to police custody. Headmaster of the school Lokchand Rathod has also been arrested in this connection. The magistrate of Washim court remanded Rathod to police custody till December 26.

The girl was studying at the residential school since the age of 5. The rape came to light when she went home in village Adoli, Washim district, and the mother noticed her distended stomach. The girl was taken to hospital, where she was declared pregnant. The girl then revealed the rape to her mother. She was subjected to sexual assault many times, and threatened to keep the incidents secret.

Meanwhile, the recognition of the residential school has been cancelled by commissioner of handicapped welfare, Pune, following a consistent demand. Washim MP Bhavna Gawli and many social workers have demanded severe punishment to the accused.

