Expressing serious concern and anguish over the rape of an eight-month-old girl child allegedly by her 28-year-old cousin in the national capital last Sunday, the Supreme Court on Wednesday directed two doctors of the country’s premier hospital, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), to visit the infant victim in the hospital and assess her condition.

The apex court made it clear that the baby, admitted on Sunday to Kalawati Saran Hospital in central Delhi, should “get all necessary treatment and special care”. A Bench ~ headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra and comprising Justice A M Khanwikar and Justice D Y Chandrachud ~ asked two senior AIIMS doctors to go to Kalawati Saran Hospital with a special ambulance, assess the infant victim’s medical condition, and shift her to the AIIMS for better care and treatment if it is required.

The Bench also sought a report from the AIIMS doctors in this regard by Thursday. As the Bench stressed upon concerns about the baby’s condition, her health and medical treatment, the Centre assured it that the infant will get the best medical care.

The top court also asked a member of the Delhi Legal Services Authority (DLSA) to accompany the doctors during their visit to the baby victim’s hospital. The plea, filed by lawyer Alakh Alok Srivastava, stated that the external and internal injuries of the girl child were extremely severe and that the infant victim had to undergo a three-hour-long surgery.

“Presently, she is admitted in a local Delhi hospital in an extremely critical and painful condition, battling for life. The said victim baby girl belongs to an extremely poor family. Her father works as a labourer and her mother works as a domestic help,” the plea said.

Pressing for a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the victim’s parents, the petition sought framing of guidelines that investigation and trial of the cases involving rape of children below the age of 12 years under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act should be completed within six months from the date of registration of the FIR. She had undergone a three-hour-long surgery at Kalawati Saran Hospital on Monday.