New Delhi: Appalled by the rape of a three-month-old baby in Kheri in Uttar Pradesh in December, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today (Feb 26, 2004) announced Rs 1 lakh for the child who is at present undergoing treatment at AIIMS at State expense.

The baby and her hapless parents were taken to the Prime Minister's residence this morning by Human Resources Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi and National Commission for Women Chairperson Poornima Advani.

Advani said Vajpayee announced the Rs 1 lakh relief from the Prime Minister's Relief Fund. The money would be put in a fixed deposit in a bank and the interest would be given to the family.

She said the child has already been operated thrice and two more surgeries would be carried out at the AIIMS when she is six months old.

Regretting that police across the country was hesitant even to register an FIR in cases of child abuse and juvenile rape, Joshi said yesterday that Government would bear expenditure on the baby girl till she became an adult.