LUCKNOW, June 5 -- A two-and-a-half-year-old girl was allegedly raped near the Alambagh Metro station in Lucknow, one of the busiest zones at due to the presence of the Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT). The victim, a daughter of pavement dwellers from Unnao, was picked up while she was sleeping next to her father and mother on the roadside early Thursday morning, police said. The accused is still absconding, and police teams have been formed to trace him.

The child was found in a severely injured state, abandoned around 500 metres from the spot. Her cries were heard by a differently-abled man, who alerted her ragpicker parents. They were already searching for her after discovering her missing around 4 am.

Notably, this incident occurred ...