11-year-old delivers premature baby after repeated rape in Bareilly, infant dies minutes later

NEW DELHI: An 11-year-old girl in Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly has given birth to a premature baby that died soon after delivery, police said on Saturday.According to news agency PTI, the child, born seven months into the pregnancy at the District Women’s Hospital in Bareilly, survived for about 30 minutes. Doctors said the girl had suffered heavy blood loss during delivery due to her age, but her condition is now stable. Police have arrested a 31-year-old man, Rashid, who is accused of repeatedly raping and blackmailing the girl over several months. Officers said he is married with two children. According to the girl’s family, Rashid first lured her to his home by offering fruit. He allegedly filmed the assault and threatened to harm her relatives if she told anyone. The pregnancy came to light on Thursday when the girl complained of stomach pain and was taken to a government hospital. An ultrasound revealed she was in the seventh month of pregnancy. Police have filed a case under provisions of rape and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. DNA samples from the baby have been collected to establish paternity, Nawabganj police chief Arun Kumar Srivastava said. Hospital CMS Dr Tribhuvan Prasad said the girl had been in a critical condition at the time of delivery but was now improving.(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault)