Guwahati, July 3: A six-month-old “raped” by her father’s cousin this morning is battling with death at the paediatrics department of Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH).

Her condition is stated to be critical because of profuse bleeding.

The incident sent shock waves among local residents who turned their ire on the accused and gave him a thrashing before handing him over to police.

Manoranjan Das, a daily wage labourer, was not at home when Pradip Das, the accused, came to their residence in Indrapur atop Narakasur Hill this morning and raped his niece.

Alerted by the baby’s screams, the neighbours caught hold of Pradip and beat him up before handing him over to the police.

He is undergoing treatment at the hospital.

The police said Pradip sustained serious injuries but his condition was now out of danger.

“He will be produced in court after he is discharged from hospital,” the police source said.

A police officer said Pradip had been arrested and a case registered against him under Section 376 IPC at Bhangagarh police station.

He is a resident of Moinaguri village in Udalguri district.

“During medical examination, injury marks found on the womb of the girl indicate that she was raped. However, we have not yet received the medical report,” the officer said.

Manoranjan said he was out at work when the incident took place.

“I was not at home when Pradip came. He used to visit us frequently. So my wife Deepa went to fetch water leaving the baby with him. She did not have the faintest idea that he will do this to us.”

The screams of the baby alerted their neighbours, who along with the girl’s mother rushed to the house.

Deepa said: “On entering the house, I was stunned to see my daughter soaked in blood. Though Pradip tried to escape, he was caught by our neighbours.”

“I cannot understand how he could do this to a six-month-old. This person must be suffering from some psychological disorder as even animals do not harm their children,” Ranjan Deka, a resident of Indrapur, said.

The last time the city witnessed such an incident was in October last year when a three-year-old girl was raped and murdered in Paltan Bazar during Durga Puja.

The rapists had abducted the girl from a pandal.

The victim’s father said his daughter went to a pandal in the area with her nine-year-old sister when she went missing.

She was later found lying unconscious in a drain near Nepali Mandir.

She was rushed to Gauhati Medical College Hospital where she died.