Bareilly, 6 Sep

An 11-year-old girl here, who had been subjected to repeated rape and blackmail, has given birth to a premature baby which died soon after, police said on Saturday.

The infant was born seven months into the pregnancy and died half an hour later, they said.

A police report has been filed against a 31-year-old man named Rashid, a father of two, who is accused of repeatedly raping the girl and blackmailing her to continue sexual relations. The accused was arrested on Saturday.

Nawabganj Station House Officer Arun Kumar Srivastava confirmed that an FIR has been registered against Rashid on Friday. A DNA sample has been taken from the baby to match with the accused.

According to the girl's older brother, Rashid lured her to his house offering a fruit six to seven months ago, where he allegedly raped her.

He then threatened her that he would kill her family if she told anyone. He also made a video to blackmail her into having sexual relations with him multiple times.

The girl's family discovered her pregnancy on Thursday after she complained of persistent stomach pain, leading them to get an ultrasound test at a government hospital, which revealed she was seven months pregnant.

The minor was brought to District Women's Hospital where she delivered the child the same day.

The girl's condition was critical due to blood loss and her young age but is said to be stable now. District Women's Hospital CMS Dr Tribhuvan Prasad stated that her condition is improving.