Bengaluru rape case: HIV positive mom had abandoned 5-year-old

Bengaluru: Just five years old, but the rape victim, who died a brutal death after a sexual assault on Friday, had to go through harrowing time as she was tortured by her mother, harassed by her caretaker and was finally raped by a paedophile.

A police source told DC that the girl’s mother wanted to get rid of her ‘dark’ past as well as her daughter, and tortured the child.

The victim’s mother got married in 2010 when she was 14 and delivered the baby girl in 2012. After a few years, she took to prostitution to make the ends meet as her husband was not keeping well. She was involved in prostitution until her husband died three months ago. She was aware that she had contracted AIDS and was tested positive. After her husband died, she moved from Kodagu to Bengaluru with her daughter, rented a house in Balaji Nagar and started a new life as a domestic help.

She felt that the girl was a burden and wanted to abandon her, thinking that the child is better taken care of in an orphanage. She discussed the plan with her friend Chandana, who also worked as a domestic help. Chandana opted to raise the child, and the mother agreed. For the little girl, life was good, but only for a month. Soon, Chandana started torturing her and was not giving her food on time.

The police, who have arrested rapist Mallikarjun and Chandana, are investigating as to why Chandana took guardianship of Priya and tortured her. The doctors have found burn marks on the child’s body and it is yet to be ascertained whether they were inflicted by Sapna or Chandana. It is learnt that Priya had injury marks even on her private parts.