Three held for allegedly molesting, kidnapping 15-year-old girl in Noida

Three men have been arrested by the Gautam Budh Nagar police for allegedly abducting and molesting a 15-year-old girl in Uttar Pradesh. The girl was rescued from a nearby area, and the suspects have been charged with various offenses including assault, kidnapping, and sexual assault.

The Gautam Budh Nagar police arrested three men on Friday for allegedly abducting a 15-year-old girl from her residence on August 25 and subsequently molesting her, police said.

The three suspect in custody. (HT Photo)

The girl’s father, employed as a driver at a high-rise society in Sector 93A, lodged a complaint at Phase-2 police station on August 26. He reported that his daughter, a Class 9 student, had been missing since August 25.

“On August 24, I reprimanded her for neglecting her studies and confiscated her mobile phone. Enraged by this, my daughter left home the following day,” he said.

On Thursday night, the police recovered the girl from a nearby locality, officials said on Friday.

Rajeev Dixit, the additional deputy commissioner of police in Central Noida, said, “After reviewing CCTV footage, utilizing technical evidence, and gathering intelligence, the girl was rescued from a nearby area in Salarpur village. Allegedly, the suspects resided in the same neighbourhood as the girl’s family and took advantage of a dispute between the girl and her father to entice her away from home.”

“She was upset due to the altercation, and the men, realizing this, took her with them. They had previously attempted to get close to her and had threatened her not to disclose their presence at home,” the father said.

Vindhyachal Tiwari, the station house officer of Phase-2 police station, said, “Based on the girl’s statement, she was allegedly molested and sexually assaulted by the suspects. Initially, a case was registered under Section 363 (kidnapping) of the Indian Penal Code against unknown persons, but additional charges were added to the FIR following the girl’s recovery.”

Following the girl’s statement, the police conducted an investigation and arrested three suspects identified as Salman (19), Lalit Mohan (22), and Nitin (19) based on information gathered regarding the incident.

The suspects have been charged under Sections 354 (Assault or criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 452 (House-trespass, having made preparation for causing hurt, assault, etc.), and 363 (Punishment for kidnapping) of the Indian Penal Code, along with Section 7/8 (sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (Pocso), 2012, the SHO added.

“The suspects have been produced before the court, and further investigation is ongoing,” Tiwari said.