Friend’s father sexually assaults 10-year-old girl in Dombivli

Thane: A 10-year-old girl, who went to play at her neighbour’s home in Dombivli on Saturday afternoon, was sexually assaulted by the father of her friend

Thane: A 10-year-old girl, who went to play at her neighbour’s home in Dombivli on Saturday afternoon, was sexually assaulted by the father of her friend.

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The Manpada police have registered an FIR under section 7 (sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) against the 32-year-old man and arrested him. He was remanded in seven-day police custody by the court.

According to the officials, the minor girl had gone to play at her friend’s home on Saturday afternoon. Other kids from the area too joined them. “When the children were playing outside the house, the accused man called the 10-year-old inside his bedroom and asked her to sleep next to him and he then sexually assaulted her,” said an official.

The girl started crying after the sexual assault and was about to leave the room but the man held her hand and offered her a chocolate, forcing her not to leave the house and tried convincing her not to tell about what happened to anyone.

The minor girl, however, managed to escape the house and narrated the incident to her parents. They immediately took her along with them to the Manpada police station to file a complaint.

Looking at the severity of the crime, especially in the wake of the Badlapur incident, senior police inspector Vijay Kadbane and police inspector Ram Chopde took serious cognisance of the case and within an hour of starting the investigation, arrested the accused.

The incident angered the residents of the neighbourhood and led to demands for severe punishment for the accused. Kadbane stated, “Recognising the seriousness of the crime, we swiftly arrested the accused. On August 25, the accused was presented in the Kalyan District Sessions Court, which granted a seven-day police custody. Meanwhile, we are investigating whether the accused has committed similar offences with the victim or other children.”