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Man sexually assaults 4-year-old in East Delhi, locals hold protest
The girl used to visit the house of the accused where she took tuitions from his sister, police officers said. The accused is a businessman
A 34-year-old man has been arrested for the alleged sexual assault of a four-year-old girl in the Pandav Nagar area of East Delhi, with the incident prompting protests by locals who accused the police of inaction.
The girl used to visit the house of the accused where she took tuitions from his sister, police officers said. The accused is a businessman.
The incident took place on Saturday morning when the girl went to his house. The accused allegedly took the girl to a separate room where he assaulted her, said the police.
“It is likely that the teacher did not know about the incident,” a senior police officer said, asking not to be named.
When the girl returned home, her parents noticed blood on her clothes. “She was taken to Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital and later referred to AIIMS,” the officer said, adding that the girl is now stable and receiving counselling.
Based on a complaint filed by her parents, the accused was taken into custody, and has been booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code pertaining to sexual assault and the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, said the officer.
The incident led to protests in the area. According to police, the minor and the accused belong to different communities, which led to the spread of rumors.
A group of locals and some local leaders staged a protest outside the house of the accused, and damaged two vehicles belonging to his family, police said.
“The agitated crowd damaged two vehicles which belong to the family of the accused. The local staff immediately intervened and removed them. They have made some serious allegations and spread rumours which are false. The girl is alive and is with her parents. We have already arrested the accused. We also detained the tuition teacher to question her. The case is being properly investigated…,” the officer cited above said.
Security has been stepped up in the area following the protests, officials said, adding that additional commissioner of police Sagar Singh Kalsi also visited the spot.
“There were rumours about the child’s health. The mob also entered a shop (of the family of the accused) and tried to vandalise it. However, the police intervened in time. We removed the protesters and have spoken to locals to stop spreading rumours. Peace has been restored,” Kalsi said.
Legal action will also be initiated against the crowd who indulged in vandalism, he said.
“The girl was referred to AIIMS because they have a one-stop centre for minors with better facilities than LBS. Her parents are with her and she’s undergoing counselling,” Apoorva Gupta, DCP (east), said.
Following the incident, Delhi minister Atishi wrote to lieutenant governor VK Saxena, seeking the “harshest punishment” for the accused.
In her letter, a copy of which the Aam Aadmi Party leader shared on X, Atishi wrote: “What could be a more heinous crime than this? LG Saheb: The safety of women and girls of Delhi is your constitutional responsibility. These criminals should be punished immediately, and the harshest punishment should be given. As a woman, I urge you to fulfil your constitutional responsibility and provide a safe environment to the women of Delhi.”
AAP MLA Kuldeep Kumar said that the AAP will gherao the local police station to demand action in the case. “The police is busy targeting the AAP and preventing our demonstrations. The law and order is deteriorating and police has failed to carry out its core duty,” Kumar, who the party has fielded from the East Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, said.
Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party president Virendra Sachdeva said that the BJP strongly condemns the incident. “We demand immediate arrest of the accused who is from minority community as is being demanded by the local citizens,” he said.
