20-yr-old held for rape bid on minor

A 20-year-old man was arrested for attempting to rape his 15-year-old neighbour at Chaunta village in Koomkalan.

A 20-year-old man was arrested for attempting to rape his 15-year-old neighbour at Chaunta village in Koomkalan.

The girl's father told the police that accused Harjinder Singh barged into their house while his daughter, a Class-10 student, was alone at home. He said the accused tried to rape her, but fled after the girl resisted and raised the alarm. The girl narrated the incident to her father when he returned in the evening, following which he lodged a complaint.

Assistant sub-inspector Palwinder Singh, who is investigating the matter, said Harjinder was arrested soon after a case was registered against him under Sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 451 (house-trespass in order to commit offence) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Sections 8 and 10 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The Koomkalan police produced the accused before court, which sent him to the Ludhiana Central Jail on judicial remand.