Representative image | Photo Credit: Indiatimes

New Delhi: In a shocking and horrifying incident, an eight-month-old baby was allegedly raped by her 28-year-old cousin in New Delhi's Shakurbasti on Sunday. The baby received severe injuries in her private parts and was currently admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of a local hospital in a critical condition, police said. Delhi Commission for Women's chairperson Swati Maliwal also tweeted about the incident, expressing her anguish over the baby's rape.

As per the Times of India report, the mother of the accused was babysitting the infant at the time of the incident. Soon after, the cousin came to the house and at the pretext of playing with the baby took her to one of the rooms, where he allegedly sexually assaulted her, police said. They added that the youth gagged the mouth of the infant so as to ensure that her screams could not be heard by anyone in the house.

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The child's mother, who works as a maid nearby, returned home at night, only to find her daughter crying in pain and profusely bleeding from her genitals. The child was immediately rushed to Kalawati Saran Hospital where the doctors confirmed the sexual assault and informed the police. The child has undergone several surgeries and was said to be battling for her life.

Meanwhile, DCW's Swati Maliwal took to Twitter to share the appalling story of the child's rape and expressed her despair over the increasing crimes against women in the national capital.

The worst has happened. An 8 month old baby has been brutally raped in the Capital and is battling for her life in a Hospital. Going to the hospital to meet her. Am totally numb. Terrified to face her! Please please pray for her. — Swati Jai Hind (@SwatiJaiHind) January 29, 2018

What to do? How can Delhi sleep today when 8 month baby has been brutally raped in Capital? Have we become so insensitive or we have simply accepted this as our fate? Where is the sena which attacked a school bus to 'protect honour'? No one to ask questions from the system now? — Swati Jai Hind (@SwatiJaiHind) January 29, 2018

On the other hand, the police have arrested the 28-year-old accused, who lives in the same building where the victim's family stays. The youth had initially denied his involvement in the case when the child's father, a labourer, confronted him, TOI reported. However, later he fled the home, confirming police's suspicion of his role in the crime. He was later tracked down and nabbed. The police said that during the interrogation, the accused confessed to raping the baby.

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A case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) was registered at the Subhash Nagar police station and an investigation was underway.