KOLKATA: A five-year-old, who was raped in Topsia here on Sunday, continues to battle for her life at the Calcutta National Medical College hospital .

After regaining consciousness on Monday, she spoke for the first time and said she wanted to go home. Doctors said though the girl's condition was critical with multiple tears in her private parts, she is stable now.

Infuriated locals on Monday staged a demonstration on the Alipore court premises. The court remanded Imtiaz (22), the accused, to 10 days in police custody.

The child's father said, "She had slipped out of consciousness by the time we could bring her to the hospital last night. She was all covered in blood. She hasn't eaten anything till now.''

He said in the evening, she regained consciousness and since then has been crying to go home. "Her condition, according to doctors, is still critical and it would take some time for her to recover physically. The trauma, we have been warned, will remain for a longer time."

The child, a Class-I student of a local English-medium school, was allegedly lured by Imtiaz - one of their tenants - to an under-construction building and assaulted sexually.

Hadn't it been for local youth Zafar, the accused would never be caught.

An 'inebriated' Imtiaz tried to scamper off as the severely bleeding child wailed in pain. Zafar, who was standing close-by, noticed it and got hold of Imtiaz. Locals soon joined. The locals assaulted Imtiaz before handing him over to Topsia Police.

Hospital medical superintendent and vice-principal Partha Pratim Pradhan said, "She continues to remain in ICU. Her condition is critical but stable.."

The state human rights commission on Monday asked the city police commissioner Surajit Kar Purkayastha to depute a senior officer to probe the case and submit a report within three weeks from Monday.

Her uncle alleged, "He is a history-sheeter and was even arrested a week back for theft. He had married only two years back."

This couldn't be independently confirmed.

The survivor's father - a real estate broker - said locals had also gone to the Topsia police station late at night to protest.

Minister Javed Khan, also the local MLA, had been to the hospital around 2am. The minister assured the locals that police would take action.