4-year-old raped by tuition teacher's brother in Delhi; protesters vandalise vehicles
New Delhi, Mar 24: A four-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a 34-year-old brother of her teacher at a tuition centre in east Delhi's Pandav Nagar area, sparking a protest in the area with people vandalising some vehicles, police said Sunday.
They said an FIR has been registered the accused arrested. They also said inflammatory messages about the case are being circulated through WhatsApp to spoil the atmosphere, and urged people to maintain peace.
They said the alleged incident happened on Saturday and the victim has been referred to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)-Delhi from Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital.
Police said the protesters gathered near the house of the accused and vandalised some vehicles over rumours that no action was being taken. They said a large number of police personnel and paramilitary forces have been deployed in the area to maintain law and order.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (east) Apoorva Gupta rushed to the spot.
"Last night (Saturday), a case of rape involving a four-year-old girl surfaced in the Mandawali police station. The police registered a case under appropriate sections and arrested the suspect on the same day," she said in a statement.
There are many false messages and rumours circulating on social media about this case, she said.
"The girl is absolutely fine. She was sent to AIIMS because the One Stop Centre for children there provides better facilities compared to Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital," said the DCP, adding that the girl's parents are with her.
Additional Commissioner of Police (eastern range) Sagar Singh Kalsi told PTI-Videos, "We have arrested the accused and detained some of his family members. Some locals vandalised a few vehicles after they received some messages that no arrest has been made so far. Police force deployment has been made, no one will be allowed to breach law and order."
The girl is out of danger, he said.
The officer further said the girl is being counselled apart from being given other assistance.
Sources said that after the alleged incident, the girl was crying and told her parents that while the teacher was away, his brother raped her at the tuition centre and also threatened her of dire consequences if she reveals the matter to anyone.
Meanwhile, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva strongly condemned the incident and demanded strict action against the accused.
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Mamata visits Bhabanipur EVM strong room, warns against counting irregularities
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee early Friday warned against any attempt to tamper with the counting process, hours after she visited an EVM strong room in Bhabanipur, alleging possible malpractice.
Banerjee, who emerged around 12:07 am after spending nearly four hours at the counting centre for her Bhabanipur constituency housed in Sakhawat Memorial School in south Kolkata, said only one person would be allowed inside the designated counting area.
"Either the candidate or one agent can stay upstairs. I have also suggested installation of a CCTV camera for the media," she told reporters.
Stressing the need for transparency, she said, "It is essential to maintain transparency. People’s votes must be protected. I rushed here after receiving complaints. The central forces initially did not allow me to enter."
Sounding a stern note ahead of the May 4 counting, she added, "If there is any plan to tamper with the counting process, it will not be tolerated."
On Thursday evening, Banerjee had reached the Bhabanipur Assembly segment counting centre, which houses the strong room for EVMs used in the April 29 polling, citing suspicion of tampering with the machines.
She entered the premises along with her election agent and remained inside for hours, even as Kolkata Mayor and TMC candidate from the Kolkata Port segment Firhad Hakim reached the spot but could not meet her.
"I reached here upon learning that the chief minister has arrived. But I couldn’t meet her since she was already inside the premises, exercising her right as a candidate to visit strong rooms. I wasn’t allowed there. I will not be able to confirm what exactly is transpiring inside," Hakim said.
The development coincided with protests by TMC candidates Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja outside the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra in north Kolkata, where they staged a sit-in alleging irregularities and possible tampering of EVMs stored in strong rooms, leading to face-offs between TMC and BJP supporters.
Earlier in a video message, Banerjee had urged party leaders, workers and polling agents to maintain a 24-hour vigil on EVM strong rooms, alleging that the BJP could attempt to tamper with the machines before counting begins.
Her remarks come amid heightened political tension in the state following a fiercely contested Assembly election, with parties closely monitoring arrangements and raising concerns over transparency.
