Noida: 45-year-old man sexually harasses minor girl; arrested

Later, a purported video clip of the incident surfacing online showed an angry mob assaulting the man using a belt

Noida: A 45-year-old man was arrested on Monday for allegedly sexually harassing a five-year-old girl in Noida Sector 25A ground in the afternoon after he was nabbed by locals, police said, adding that a case was registered at the Sector 24 police station under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections, and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

The middle-aged man was spotted with the minor in an inappropriate condition around 12.45 pm by a person grazing cattle in the bushes of the ground. (Representational image)

The middle-aged man was spotted with the minor in an inappropriate condition around 12.45 pm by a person grazing cattle in the bushes of the ground.

“The man immediately approached the suspect and rescued the minor. As the man started shouting at the suspect, locals converged and assaulted the suspect,” said an eyewitness, requesting anonymity, adding: “The terrified minor did not speak. Subsequently, someone from the crowd called police on emergency helpline number 112, and he was handed over to them.”

“As we received information, a team from Sector 24 police rushed to the spot and rescued the man from the mob. Investigation revealed that the survivor, along with her family, lives in Nithari village. Her mother, a domestic helper, had asked the suspect, a next-door neighbour and e-rickshaw driver, to come with her since her own employer was to give her a mattress,” said station house officer (SHO) (Sector 24) Vidhyut Goel.

“The suspect took the woman and her minor daughter on it to Sector 25, three to four kilometres from Nithari village on e-rickshaw,” the officer said.

On reaching Sector 25, the woman collected the mattress and asked him to drop her daughter at home. “On his way back, the suspect halted next to the Elevated Road from Sector 18 to 62 and took the girl to an isolated spot in Sector 25A ground and sexually harassed her,” the SHO added.

On the complaint of the survivor’s mother, a case under section 76 (assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe) of the BNS and the Pocso Act was registered against him, and he was arrested, said the police, adding further investigation in underway.