Gurgaon: A nine-year-old girl was allegedly drugged and repeatedly sexually assaulted by the “minor” sons of a family, who took her in under the pretext of adoption.The incident took place under the jurisdiction of NIT Faridabad police station.On July 10, the child narrated the ordeal to her father, an auto driver, following which he lodged a complaint with NIT police station on July 12, based on which an FIR was registered against four persons, including the father, the mother and two sons.The survivor — who was handed over to the adoptive family on July 1 — was also forced into child labour and physically assaulted when she attempted to complain about it.On July 10, the mother of the adoptive family brought the child back to her father, demanding an official adoption deed. It was during this time, while in her father’s custody, that the young girl broke down and narrated the horrific abuse she suffered.A senior police officer said, “The facts of the case are being verified. The survivor has also undergone a medical examination and counselling. We will question the accused. A special report of the FIR is being dispatched to the concerned area magistrate and senior officers.”The case has been registered under Sections 4 (penetrative sexual assault) and 17 (abetment) of the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act, along with Section 115 (voluntarily causing hurt) of BNS and sections 75 (cruelty to child), 77 (giving intoxicating drug to child), 80 (punitive measures for adoption without following prescribed procedures) and 82 (corporal punishment) of the Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act.According to the complainant, the girl’s father was introduced to the family by the owner of the autorickshaw. “The owner persuaded me by saying that the family has two sons and desires to have a daughter and that he would keep my daughter as his own, following which I handed over my daughter,” the complaint alleged. The complainant has five children — three girls and two boys.The minor said that for three to four nights, the accused’s sons forced her to consume a “syrup,” after which she would fall into a deep sleep. She said that the duo then “forcibly did wrong acts” with her for multiple nights. When she attempted to report the abuse to their mother, she was allegedly threatened into silence.Besides sexual exploitation, the girl was treated as domestic help, forced to perform sweeping, mopping and cleaning utensils. The complaint says when the minor pleaded to be returned to her home, the entire family allegedly beat her up.
