Chandigarh, August 15 (PTI): A minor girl on her way to attend the Independence Day function in her school today was allegedly abducted and raped by a man in a city park here, the police said.
"The 12-year-old girl was crossing the children's traffic park, located in the heart of the city, around 8.15 am when she was abducted by the man, aged around 40 years, and sexually assaulted," Eish Singhal, officiating Senior Superintendent of Police of Chandigarh, told reporters this evening.
The area where the crime took place in the park has thick growth of grass and bushes.
The girl, a student of Class 8 of a government school, was taken to a government hospital in Sector 16 where her medical examination was conducted, the officer said.
Asked about the girl's condition, he said, "She is stable but traumatised".
The girl narrated the incident to her parents following which the police was informed and a case, including under the provisions of the POCSO Act, was registered against the accused, who is at large, he added.
"We have rounded up some suspects and they are being questioned. Further probe is under progress," Singhal said.
The police, he said, was also trying to get the footage from the CCTV cameras from the nearby area to identify the accused.
Earlier, there were reports the incident took place when the girl was returning home from school.
Singhal said that the girl's statement was recorded before a magistrate and also told police that the accused was not known to her.
Asked if the girl was raped at the knife-point, the SSP said, "We are investigating this claim".
Today's rape incident comes barely over a week after the 29-year-old daughter of a senior IAS officer was stalked by the son of Haryana BJP chief and his friend.
