A seven-year-old girl was sexually assaulted allegedly by a 52-year-old man under the Ajitsingh Nagar police station limits. The incident occurred on August 14 and the girl’s parents lodged a complaint with the police on Monday.
The victim’s family belongs to the Scheduled Tribes, said the police.
The police said the accused, K. Adi Babu, had rented out a portion of his house to the girl’s family. On August 12, the accused allegedly molested the girl when she was alone at home. Again on August 14, the family members reportedly caught him red-handed while he was assaulting the girl.
However due to social stigma, the girl’s parents reportedly did not complain about the matter. When questioned about the incident and behaviour of the accused, the latter’s family members reportedly attacked the victim’s family, after which a complaint was lodged with the police.
On Tuesday, the police sent the girl to the Government General Hospital for medical examination.
The accused was taken into custody, said Mahila Police Station Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) V.V. Naidu.
Meanwhile, the locals protested when the police came in uniform to the girl’s house to record the statement on Tuesday. However, they allowed only women police, who were in plainclothes, to speak to the victim. Cases have been registered against the accused under Section 376 (Rape) IPC, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, and SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, the ACP said.
