Man held for sexually assaulting 10-year-old girl

A 30-year old man was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a 10-year old girl in the Deonar transit camp on Sunday. The accused lured the minor into his room by offering her chocolates; she was saved, however, by her brother who raised an alarm and alerted the neighbours. The accused, fearing their wrath, allegedly harmed himself with a knife.

Police said that the victim and the accused were neighbours. At 2 pm on Sunday, the accused allegedly offered the child Rs 2 to get chocolates for herself. Later he asked the victim to follow him to his room, and when she was inside, he bolted the door shut. "The victim's brother had seen her entering the room with the accused. He immediately raised an alarm and alerted the neighbours who then gathered outside the room," said an officer from Deonar police station. The officer added, "The crowd started banging on the room's door, and the accused, who was under the influence of drugs, panicked. To escape a beating, he slashed his hand and legs with a kitchen knife."

The locals immediately informed the Deonar police, who came there, broke open the door and rescued the girl. "The accused had undressed the girl and had touched her inappropriately, but could not harm her further, as people raised an alarm," said the officer. "It was the alertness of the victim's brother which saved his sister from the accused."

The accused was booked under sections 354(B) (assault or use of criminal force to a woman with intent to disrobe) of the Indian Penal Code and under relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.