CHENNAI: A 13-year-old girl residing at a government-run shelter home in Chitlapakkam was admitted to RGGGH with a broken leg on Sunday in an alleged case of sexual assault. The police have picked up a security guard of the facility for questioning.
The class 8 student, who had been residing at the Tamil Nadu Social Welfare Department’s shelter near the Judge Colony, was attacked when she was asleep in the dormitory early on Sunday.
According to the girl’s statement to doctors at Chromepet Government Hospital, where she was initially admitted, a masked man covered her face and mouth with a cloth, carried her within the shelter premises, and attempted to sexually assault her. When she resisted, he twisted and broke her right leg. The shelter staff initially claimed the girl broke her leg after a fall. However, after a detailed medical examination and hearing her harrowing account, doctors at the Chromepet Government Hospital immediately alerted the Chitlapakkam police. The girl was transferred to RGGGH for an urgent surgery and intensive care.
The Chitlapakkam police reviewed the CCTV footage of the shelter home. Initial investigations led to the detention of the private contract security guard. The 50-year-old resident of Periyar Street was on duty at the time of the crime. The girl who hails from Kallakurichi district was admitted to the home by her mother on June 3, following her father’s death.