A 28-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting his eight-month-old cousin in a northwest Delhi locality on Sunday, The Hindu reported. The infant, who is undergoing treatment at Kalawati Saran Hospital in New Delhi, is said to be in critical condition.

The man assaulted the baby when her parents were away at work and had left her and her two-year-old sister with family members at their home in Shakurpur Basti, the police said on Monday.

The girl’s family lives on the first floor, while their relatives live on the ground floor of the same building, The Indian Express reported.

After her parents left, the man allegedly took the baby to another part of the building and raped her. The girl’s mother, who works as a domestic help in the area, came home to find her child lying in a pool of blood and took her to the hospital. Her father is a labourer.

“The mother found the baby unconscious and bleeding,” The Hindu quoted a police officer as saying.

The police said the accused was questioned and later detained, when he tried to run away. “During the interrogation, he confessed,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (North West) Aslam Khan. He was booked under the relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.