Juvenile drug addict detained in Badarpur minor assault case

The police have apprehended a 15-year-old drug addict in connection with the sexual assault of a six-year-old girl in a public toilet in Badarpur, said sources.

The police have apprehended a 15-year-old drug addict in connection with the sexual assault of a six-year-old girl in a public toilet in Badarpur, said sources.

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Senior police officers, however, refused to comment on the development, saying they were waiting for the forensic report before making any official announcement. They, however, affirmed that they have zeroed in on the involvement of a juvenile suspect in the case.

“We are still not in a position to reveal the identity of the suspect or pronounce him the prime accused. We are waiting for the forensic examination report of the case that will have to be corroborated with the available circumstantial evidence before bringing the suspect to book,” a senior police officer said.

To date, teams of the southeast district police have questioned over a hundred people in connection with the case. They include drug addicts and offenders who were earlier booked under similar offences.

Over 500 houses in the slum, where the girl lived, have been searched to verify whether anybody has gone missing or is untraceable. “We are on the right track and are confident of nabbing the accused very soon,” said Ajay Chaudhary, additional commissioner of police (southeast).

The gruesome incident was reported on Friday around half an hour after the victim, a resident of the BIW slum cluster in Badarpur, was found in the public toilet near her house around 4pm. Her uncle had found the minor in a semi-naked condition and crying in pain when he went looking for her.