Kopri idli vendor held for molesting class V student

A 26-year-old idli vendor was arrested by the Kopri police on Monday around 3pm for sexually harassing a class V student for the last few days. The first time when the incident took place, the 12-year-old stopped buying idlis from the accused. But he made attempts to speak to her and hold her hand.

On the day of the incident, he tried to talk to the victim once again and take her to the school's back yard, but the girl managed to free herself and rush home.

"The girl reached home and started crying. When her family enquired, she narrated the incident. Accordingly, we arrested the accused and will produced him in court on Wednesday," an officer from Kopri police station said.

According to the police, the accused has been selling idlis near a private English school at Thanekar Wadi, Kopri, since two months. After speaking to a few students, police learnt that he also gave his mobile phone to the students to play with it.

S Kalbande, senior inspector, said, "The girl is scared, but we will counsel and pacify her. We interrogated the accused, but he is denying the incident. However, the girl has identified him, so we will take him in custody after producing him in court."

A case has been registered under relevant sections of The Prevention Of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 and the Indian Penal Code.