A very heart wrenching incident has come to light from Bihar’s Patna district. A 10-year-old Dalit girl from Patna’s Muzaffarpur, was raped and brutally assaulted on May 26. The girl somehow survived the brutal attack but died on Sunday morning at Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH).

The minor girl’s family has alleged that delays in treatment due to lack of ICU availability at the state-run hospital contributed to her death. The incident has sparked political outrage and demands for accountability in poll-bound Bihar.

What happened?

According to reports, the minor child was lured with chocolate by the accused, Rohit Kumar Sahni (30). The girl was abducted near her aunt’s house and taken to a maize field. Once there, the accused raped and attacked the victim with a sharp object. Horrifying details of the incident were revealed by the police.

The victim’s throat was slit, her chest was injured. Due to deep cuts her vocal cords were damaged so severely that she could not speak. The body of the minor was discovered in critical condition near a pond around 7 pm the same day. Following the discovery she was rushed to Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) in Muzaffarpur. From there she was referred to PMCH hospital in Patna.

Made to wait in Ambulance for hours

The girl’s family members reached PMCH by ambulance at around 11 am on Saturday. The family claimed that they remained inside the vehicle for hours. They were allegedly being redirected between emergency, paediatrics, and ENT departments due to a reported lack of ICU beds.

She was eventually admitted to the gynaecology ICU between 3:43 pm and 5 pm following political intervention. However the girl died early Sunday morning at around 8:15 am.

Victim’s ordeal stated by Family

The victim’s uncle claimed hospital staff demanded Rs 2,000 for an oxygen cylinder during the transfer. “She was kept waiting for over four hours while her condition worsened,” he told reporters. Congress workers, led by Bihar party chief Rajesh Ram, intervened during the chaos and helped facilitate her admission.

“When we arrived at PMCH on Saturday (from another hospital), the emergency department staff said there was no space and directed us to other wards. We were sent to the paediatric department after being turned away from two-three wards. She was in the ambulance for hours. It was after some politicians intervened that she was finally admitted at around 5 pm on Saturday, and passed away this morning,” the girl’s uncle said Sunday.

According to reports, the girl’s mother, a widow, said the accused had taken the girl away after he came to the house to sell fish. “I was unwell and didn’t notice. When I woke up and looked for her, she was nowhere to be found. Later, someone told me he had taken her on his bicycle at around 11 am,” she said, adding that the accused frequented their village to sell fish. She was informed by the village head that her daughter was lying near a pond, after which she rushed to the spot with the police.

Hospital denies allegations

Hospital officials have denied the allegations. PMCH superintendent Dr. Abhijeet Singh said the medical team responded quickly upon being informed, even beginning treatment inside the ambulance. “She had multiple deep injuries, and her condition was extremely critical. Our team treated her through the night, but we could not save her,” he said.

Dr. Indrashekhar Thakur, the acting medical superintendent, reiterated that no negligence occurred. He stated that once the administration received word of her arrival, she was directed to appropriate departments.

“I was on leave, but the acting superintendent was informed and immediately called the patient to the ENT department. Meanwhile, Congress workers arrived, leading to a crowd outside ENT. Our doctors examined her in the advanced life support ambulance itself, which was equipped with the necessary facilities. Besides an injury to her throat, she also had chest injuries and other injuries and had been sexually assaulted. So, by 3.43 pm, a quick decision was made to admit her to the gynaecology department, as ENT currently lacks an ICU facility,” he said.

“Allegations that PMCH neglected her for four or nine hours are baseless. As soon as the administration was informed, every effort was made to treat her… Despite the best efforts of all doctors, she passed away around 8.15 am on Sunday,” Thakur said.

Police statement

Police arrested the accused Rohit Kumar Sahni on the same day of the incident. According to Muzaffarpur Rural SP Vidya Sagar, the accused has a history of predatory behavior and had attempted to assault another girl two days earlier. He also reportedly created social media reels to attract minors.

Muzaffarpur Rural Superintendent of Police (SP) Vidya Sagar said the accused was arrested the same night. “The victim had suffered multiple injuries on her body. Due to the cut on her throat, she couldn’t speak, but narrated the ordeal to her relatives using signals. During the preliminary investigation, we learned that the accused has a history of such behaviour and a habitual tendency to harass girls. Two days before this incident, he attempted to assault another girl, but it was not reported to the police. We also found that he made social media reels to attract young girls,” the officer said.

LoP Rahul Gandhi condemns the incident

The case has triggered political backlash, especially from the Congress. Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi condemned the brutality and accused the JD(U)-BJP “double-engine” government of systemic failure.

In a post on X he wrote, “The brutality against a minor Dalit girl in Muzaffarpur and the subsequent negligence in her treatment is extremely shameful. If she had received timely treatment, her life could have been saved. But the double-engine government was negligent not only in providing security but also in saving her life. We will not sit quietly until the victim’s family gets justice. Strict action should be taken against the culprits and negligent officers.”

मुजफ्फरपुर में दलित नाबालिग बेटी के साथ दरिंदगी और फिर इलाज़ में हुई लापरवाही बेहद शर्मनाक है।

अगर समय पर इलाज़ मिला होता, तो उसकी जान बचाई जा सकती थी। लेकिन डबल इंजन सरकार ने सुरक्षा तो दूर, जीवन रक्षा में भी घोर लापरवाही बरती।

पीड़ित परिवार को न्याय मिलने तक हम चुप नहीं… https://t.co/KPzLQHabCh

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 1, 2025