In India, where central and state governments often proclaim their commitment to human rights and the upliftment of marginalised communities, the grim reality tells a different story. The harrowing case of an 11-year-old Dalit girl, brutally raped and left to die after hours of waiting in an ambulance, lays bare the systemic failures that plague the nation’s healthcare and administrative systems.

On May 26, 2025, the minor was viciously attacked by 30-year-old Rohit Kumar Sahni in Muzaffarpur, Bihar. According to The Times of India, Sahni raped the child, stabbed her multiple times in the neck, chest, and abdomen, and slit her throat. She was initially admitted to Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital in Muzaffarpur, but as her condition worsened, doctors referred her to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) on May 31.

The journey to PMCH marked the beginning of a series of failures that would cost the child her life. Congress MP Ranjeet Ranjan told reporters in Delhi that the Muzaffarpur hospital had initially recommended transferring the girl to AIIMS Patna, a better-equipped facility. However, this did not happen, allegedly due to administrative apathy. Upon reaching PMCH, the minor and her family faced further delays. Her uncle, quoted by The Indian Express, recounted how the emergency department staff claimed there was no space and directed them to other wards. “We were sent to the paediatric department after being turned away from two or three wards. She was in the ambulance for hours,” he said. Reports indicate the child waited in the ambulance for four to five hours before being admitted around 5 pm on Saturday, June 1.

The family’s ordeal did not end there. The uncle alleged that during transit, when the oxygen supply ran low, they were asked to pay Rs 2,000 for a cylinder. He further claimed that on Sunday morning, as blood poured from the girl’s nose and mouth, no doctor attended to her. Tragically, she succumbed to her injuries that day.

The PMCH administration has denied allegations of negligence, asserting that the child was promptly taken to the ENT department and later transferred to the gynaecology department. However, these claims ring hollow against the family’s account and the undeniable fact of the hours-long delay.

The incident has sparked outrage, with Congress leaders, including Bihar president Rajesh Ram, visiting the hospital while the minor was left waiting. Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, took to X to condemn the incident: “The brutality against a minor Dalit girl in Muzaffarpur and the subsequent negligence in her treatment is extremely shameful. If she had received timely treatment, her life could have been saved. But the double-engine government was negligent not only in providing security but also in saving her life. We will not sit quietly until the victim’s family gets justice.”

The accused, Rohit Kumar Sahni, has been arrested, but for the victim’s family, justice remains elusive. The case underscores a broader, more pervasive issue: the persistent marginalisation of Dalit communities and the failure of institutions to protect and serve them. While governments pay lip service to human rights, the death of this young girl reveals the chasm between rhetoric and reality. Her life, which could have been saved with timely intervention, has become a tragic symbol of a system that continues to fail its most vulnerable.

  Bihar, naked truth, PMCH