AHMEDABAD: In a gruesome act, a six-month-old girl was allegedly raped by a man — acquainted to the victim's family — in Gujarat's Patan district, police said on Wednesday.

The rape took place late last night and the accused is on the run, while the toddler is being treated at Dharpur civil hospital in Chanasma and is critical at the moment, police said.

"The man raped the six-month-old at her residence in Itoda village in Chanasma tehsil of the district," said Police Sub Inspector (PSI) of Chansama police station D D Chaudhari.

The accused, identified as Bhavanji Thakor (32), was known to the victim's family, Chaudhari said.

The incident occured when the victim's parents had gone out for a religious programme in the outskirts of the village with their two daughters, he said.

The family had handed over their younger daughter to the accused to take care of her. However, when the family returned home, the accused left the place in hurry and the toddler was found bitterly crying, he said.

When the mother checked her daughter, she found her daughter bleeding and doubted that she was raped by Thakor, Chaudhari said adding that the victim's family immediately went to Thakor's place where the accused also threatened them with dire consequences if they would ever reveal about the rape, Chaudhari said.

The police has filed a FIR on complaint of the victim's family and charged the accused under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 376 (rape) along with section 3(a)(forcible penetration to a child) and section 4, which attracts punishment of not less than seven years, Chaudhari said.

