Rajasthan: 8-Year-Old Found Unconscious in Park, Neighbour Arrested for Sexual Assault

An eight-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted after being administered an intoxicating substance in Rajasthan's Sri Ganganagar district. Police have arrested a neighbour in connection with the incident, an official said on Friday.

The case was registered at Padampur police station under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), according to police.

The incident came to light on Wednesday afternoon when the girl had gone to a park near her home to play on the swings. A relative later informed the family that the child was lying unconscious in the park.

Family members rushed to the spot and took her to a local government hospital. Doctors provided primary treatment, but given her critical condition, she was referred to a hospital in Sri Ganganagar, where she is currently undergoing treatment, police said.

In a complaint to police, the victim's mother alleged that her daughter was given an intoxicating substance and sexually assaulted. She said the accused lived in the same locality.

"The accused is a neighbour, and he has been arrested," Sri Ganganagar Superintendent of Police Hari Shankar said.

Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot condemned the incident. In a statement, he said the girl, who had stepped out to play on swings, was found unconscious in a park where she was allegedly drugged and assaulted. He claimed the incident illustrated how unsafe children were in the state under the current BJP government.

Gehlot alleged that the BJP government had failed on women and child safety over the past two-and-a-half years, and such incidents exposed how the rule of law was being undermined in Rajasthan.

Police have not confirmed any political angle and said the investigation is ongoing. Authorities have urged the public to avoid speculation and respect the privacy of the minor and her family.