HYDERABAD: A 14-year-old girl who was raped for several months in Maruthi Home, an NGO for child care, and then physically assaulted by her uncle, died at Niloufer Hospital on Wednesday. The girl had been taken in by Maruthi Home in 2015 where she was given sedatives and raped repeatedly by the NGO home members. A case was booked in Bowenpally police station under sections 376(3), 342, 323, 328, 506 and 109 of the IPC and Section 6 of the POCSO Act for rape, wrongful confinement, causing hurt with poison etc. During the lockdown, the girl was sent back to her uncle’s place.
As Maruthi Home asked for a Covid-19 test on all children before they came back, the girl’s uncle was angry. He beat her up brutally which left her limping and with several injury marks. She was admitted to Niloufer Hospital about a week back, after she told a relative about the assault. Her condition deteriorated while in hospital and she died. “We have constituted a high-powered committee with independent agencies like SCPCR and Women’s Commission to investigate her case and recommend future course of action,” said WCD Commissioner D Divya.