An eight-year-old child with hearing and speech challenges was raped allegedly by the watchman of a government girl’s hostel, where she was living, in Madhya Pradesh’s Damoh district, the police said on Wednesday.

The incident took place on Tuesday at the facility for girls with hearing and speech challenges, they said.

City Superintendent of Police Abhishek Tiwari said that the accused, identified as Om Prakash Tiwari, had been working as the watchman of the hostel for the past five years. He was arrested after the alleged crime came to light, said the police official.

A case has been registered against the accused under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for rape, said the official.

Further investigation is underway, he added.

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