New Delhi, April 20
Delhi police today arrested Manoj Saha, a garment factory worker from Bihar, for his alleged involvement in the brutal rape and torture of a five-year-old girl in the national capital, an incident that resulted in protests at several places in the national capital here.

Manoj (22) was picked up by a team of Delhi police from Chiknauta village in Muzaffarpur district of Bihar, from his in-laws place where he reportedly fled after committing the crime fearing the victim had died. Manoj had allegedly kidnapped the minor from the Gandhi Nagar locality in East Delhi on April 15.

The police said Manoj allegedly kidnapped the victim from outside her residence, confined her in his apartment located on the ground floor of a building. The victim’s family resides on the first floor. He allegedly raped and tortured her there before taking a train to Bihar the same evening.

Manoj was brought to Delhi from Patna this evening. Investigators will also ascertain if another person is involved in torturing and raping the victim, East District Deputy Police Commissioner Prabhakar said.

The girl's mother had told police that the victim, who was playing outside their home, went missing around 6 pm. “We have got the transit remand of Manoj. We will have to interrogate him to ascertain the facts,” Prabhakar said.

AIIMS Medical Superintendent DK Sharma said: “A detailed examination last night showed the evidence of perineal injuries. A colostomy procedure was done to divert her stool. Surgical dressing for her perineal injuries has also been carried out. She is now conscious and alert. She is talking to her parents. She is recovering and responding well to treatment.”

Under observation of a team of eight doctors, her condition was described as stable. The infection is localised and has been managed well. She is currently fed through intravenous drip strong antibiotics and nutritive care. Reconstructive surgery will take some more days, the doctors said.

A sense of anguish and shock gripped the capital. Praying for victim’s speedy recovery, President Pranab Mukherjee stressed on the need to take urgent steps to bring the perpetrators to justice immediately. Vice President Hamid Ansari echoed similar sentiments, suggesting that unless collective steps are taken to urgently change the regressive mindset, the country would lose the right to be called a progressive society. Meanwhile, protests were held in front of police headquarters demanding the resignation of the Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar. Agitators expressed their anger by waving currency notes at police personnel following the allegations of the victim’s family that the investigators had tried to bribe them to hush up the case.