Kidnap attempt in Chandigarh falls flat as accused’s bike crashes on road

Some children were playing near a temple in Kaimbwala, a district in Chandigarh, when the accused approached the seven-year-old and offered to buy her sweets

A kidnapper’s notorious plans fell flat after he met with an accident while trying to escape with a seven-year-old girl whom he had lured on the pretext of buying her a box of sweets in Kaimbwala village on Tuesday evening.

The accused, Rohit, a native of Uttar Pradesh, has been living in Chandigarh for the past few days and faces multiple cases. (HT Photos)

Police have arrested the accused, identified as Rohit, 35, a taxi driver, residing in Dadumajra.

As per information, some children were playing near a temple in Kaimbwala when the accused approached the seven-year-old and offered to buy her sweets. Falling for the trick, the girl agreed to go with him on his bike. As they reached the Tata Project area near Khuda Alisher on PGI Road, the bike’s wheels got entangled in a barbed wire on the way, causing the two-wheeler to crash. Both fell on the road and sustained injuries following which the minor started crying.

Seeing the girl crying, the man panicked and fled the spot.

The girl managed to reach home and narrated the incident to her family members, following which they lodged a complaint at the Sector-3 police station.

The case was registered under Section 363 (kidnapping) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 8 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera footage from Lala Wala Peer was obtained and circulated among the village youth, leading to the identification of the suspect, who was eventually traced to Dadu Majra Colony and arrested on Wednesday morning.

Accused, a repeat offender

As per the police, Rohit, a native of Uttar Pradesh, has been living in Chandigarh for the last four-five days. His parents reside in Abohar of Punjab. He works as a taxi driver and faces multiple cases. He is also facing court cases filed by seven to eight women, with whom he was reportedly in a relationship. Additionally, a theft case was registered against him at the Zirakpur police station.