Girl, 13, sexually assaulted by man known to her mother on pretext of dropping her to school

A 29-year-old man was arrested in Pune for raping a 13-year-old girl whom he lured into his car under the guise of taking her to school.

The Pune city police on February 19 arrested a man, 29, for raping a girl, 13, after taking her in his car on the pretext of dropping her to school, the police said on Friday. An FIR has been filed at the Warje-Malwadi police station.

According to information provided by the police, the victim’s mother is a widow who has known the accused for many years now. (REPRESENTATIVE PIC)

The incident took place between 6.50 am and 7.20 am on February 18 in the city. According to information provided by the police, the victim’s mother is a widow who has known the accused for many years now. Due to this longstanding acquaintance, the mother did not hesitate to send her daughter to school with him. Taking advantage of this trust, the accused took the innocent girl to a lonely spot and sexually assaulted her. Following the incident, the accused threatened the child, warning her that he would kill both her mother and her if she spilled the beans to anyone.

The police said that on the day of the incident, the accused stopped his car to assault the girl, causing her to reach school nearly half-an-hour late. When she returned home that evening, her mother asked her the reason for the delay. The fear on the girl’s face and her unusual silence made the mother suspicious. The mother took the girl into confidence after which, the girl broke down and narrated her ordeal. Without wasting any time, the mother rushed to the Warje police station to seek justice.

The Warje police immediately registered a case and apprehended the accused. The police have booked the accused under sections 64(2)(i); 65(1); and 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and sections 4,6 and 8 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The car used in the crime has also been seized. The accused was produced in a local court, which remanded him to police custody.

Sambhaji Kadam, deputy commissioner of police (zone 3), said, “The accused is a driver and known to the victim’s mother. On the pretext of dropping the victim, he took the victim in his car and sexually assaulted her.”

Mahesh Bolkotgi, senior police inspector at Warje-Malwadi police station, said, “The victim’s mother is a single parent and taking advantage of it, the accused sexually assaulted the victim.”

The Pune police are currently scanning CCTV footage from D P Road and the surrounding areas to gather solid evidence.