

BILASPUR: A seven-year-old girl was allegedly raped on Howrah-Kurla Express near Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh by an unidentified man who gave her a Rs 10 note after committing the crime before dumping her at the railway station, police said today quoting her.

However, police are trying to verify the girl's claim whether she was sexually assaulted on the train or elsewhere as she was spotted in serious condition in the market area of the city near Kotwali police station.

The girl was found near Bhakt Kanwarram Market at Kotwali police station. She was seriously injured and profusely bleeding, following which she was admitted to Chhattisgarh Institute of Medical Sciences hospital yesterday morning, Bilaspur SP Ratanlal Dangi told PTI.

He said the medical examination of the minor has confirmed that she was sexually assaulted.

Police said the girl told them that she was travelling in Howrah-Kurla Express on Friday night. When she went to toilet in the wee hours on Saturday, an unidentified man followed her there and brutally raped her. Later, he gave her a Rs 10 note and dropped her at Bilaspur railway station.

"Though police have not been able to record her statement because she was seriously injured, the girl narrated a few things to Kotwali police when she was being taken to the hospital," the SP said, adding it was not immediately known whether the girl was travelling alone or accompanied by somebody at the time of the incident.

Police said she was unable to tell them how she managed to reach the city from Bilaspur railway station.

The case has been handed over to government railway police (GRP) and efforts are on to ascertain the identity of the girl, the SP said.

Meanwhile, GRP has announced a reward of Rs 25,000 for providing information of the accused and are scrutinizing CCTV footage of the railway station.

Senior divisional security commissioner, Bilaspur Railway, B Ramakrishna said the condition of the girl was critical. "We will be able to talk to her only after two days when her condition may improve".

