The Hubballi Police have arrested a youth in connection with the death of a minor girl student here and have booked him under the provisions of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) Act.
Giving details of the incident which led to the unnatural death of 14-year-old Geeta Laxmi, a class IX student of Sanskaar English Medium School in Hubballi, here on Tuesday, Police Commissioner Pandurang Rane said that the accused, Vijay Prashanth, alias Vijay Raviprashant Dalra (23), was stalking Geeta Laxmi and was forcing her to have a love affair with him.
A resident of Janata Colony on Kusugal Road in Hubballi, Vijay had waylaid Geeta Laxmi on October 22 while she was returning from her tuition class and had also damaged her bicycle.
Geeta Laxmi was subsequently found in an unconscious state on the road and breathed her last in hospital at midnight the same day. Investigation revealed that Vijay Prashanth’s stalking and harassment had forced Geeta Laxmi to take the extreme step, Mr. Rane said.
Mr. Rane said that the girl’s father had suspected Vijay Prashanth’s role in his daughter’s unnatural death. He had also urged the police in his complaint to investigate the involvement of another person in the case. “We are investigating further to establish the role of the other youth who was with the accused at the time of the incident,” Mr. Rane said.
Under POCSO
Mr. Rane said that since the deceased girl was a minor, they had booked the accused under Section 12 of POCSO Act and under Section 306 (abetment of suicide) and 354 (D)(2) (stalking) of the IPC.
