A nine-year-old girl was allegedly raped by three of her father’s friends over the past month in Noida’s Sector 21. The three accused have since been arrested.

The horrific incident came to light on Tuesday when the girl’s father took her to a private hospital after she complained of persistent illness. After a medical examination, doctors confirmed she had been sexually assaulted and immediately alerted the authorities.

According to media reports, the rape survivor is a Class 1 student. She lives with her father and two siblings—an elder brother and younger sister—in the servant quarters of a house where her father is employed. The family has been living in Sector 21 for about 25 years. The child’s parents are currently separated.

The three arrested accused have been identified as a 35-year-old from Sector 123 who irons clothes, a 50-year-old security guard who is a resident of Sector 48, and a 55-year-old driver from Harola. It is understood that the accused were regular visitors to the family’s house. Reports, citing police, mentioned the accused took advantage of the girl when she was alone at home.

After the sexual assault was confirmed, her family lodged a police complaint. When police began their probe, they spoke with the girl while counselling her. It was then that the girl revealed that her father’s three friends, who also work close to her home, "allegedly raped her on three different dates in the last month".

A case has been registered under BNS sections "137(2) for kidnapping, 74 for assault or criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty, and 65 for rape, along with relevant POCSO Act sections at Sector 20 police station."

The girl’s condition is stable. This case has sent shockwaves across the city, raising serious concerns about child safety and the vulnerability of children of domestic workers. An investigation into the case is currently underway.

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