A 13-year-old girl was allegedly molested by a 34-year-old man at her residence in Porur during the early hours of Sunday.
According to the police, Latha and her sister Shanti (names changed) are from a small town near Villupuram. After their parents passed away, they had lived alone and struggled. A family friend of theirs brought them to his house in Porur.
“The sisters came to Chennai three years back. They were provided some space on the premises of the friend’s house itself. To earn money, Shanti used to take up small jobs,” said an officer at the SRMC police station.
According to the police, construction work was underway in a section of the house. “Building material was being brought in frequently. Mahadevan (34), a resident of Maduravoyal, used to regularly bring them to the house in an autorickshaw,” the officer said.
In due course, he got acquainted with Latha. “He used to speak to her regularly,” said the officer.
A few days ago, Shanti left for their hometown and Latha was alone in the house. “At around 2.30 a.m. on Sunday, Mahadevan went to the house for unloading construction material. As he knew there was no one at home, he went inside and molested Latha. As she started shouting, he attempted to rape her,” said the officer.
Hearing her cries, the neighbours woke up and rushed towards the house. Mahadevan fled the spot. The family friend rushed Latha to the hospital as she had suffered injuries.
The police later tracked down Mahadevan. “We nabbed the accused from the Porur bus stand. He confessed to having molested the girl,” said the officer. A police complaint has been filed.
Meanwhile, Latha is recuperating in the hospital. “She told us what had happened. She seems to have come out of the shock. We are yet to ascertain if she was raped as it will only be known after medical tests,” said the officer.
