60-year-old relative arrested for sexually assaulting 5-year-old girl

A 60-year-old man from Mumbai has been arrested for sexually assaulting a five-year-old girl, who is related to him. The accused has been molesting her repeatedly.

MUMBAI: A 60-year-old man from Govandi has been arrested on Thursday for allegedly sexually assaulting a five-year-old girl, who is related to him. It was later learnt that the accused has been molesting her repeatedly.

HT Image

The Shivaji Nagar police said that they have gathered from the girl that the last incident of molestation by the accused took place on July 3. However, they also said she has been repeatedly molested by the accused.

The incident came to light on Thursday morning when the girl complained of pain and her mother noticed some marks on her private parts, said the police.

On asking pointed questions to the child, the mother realised that the girl had been sexually assaulted. The family then lodged a complaint based on which the Shivaji Nagar police registered an FIR against the man the same day.

“Our women officers spoke to the child to understand what exactly happened. Based on what she shared with the officers, we booked the elderly relative later that evening. The accused was booked under the relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012,” said a senior officer of Shivaji Nagar police.

“Since both their families were related, they would often visit each other’s homes. The accused being a family man with grown up kids, the girl’s parents felt that they had no reason to worry about the accused,” said the officer.

In the presence of others, the accused always showered the girl with affection and gifts which also helped the parents to trust him, added the officer.