Pre-School Girl Raped in Maharashtra; 19-Yr-Old Accused Arrested

Mumbai: A four-and-half-year-old girl studying pre-school classes was raped in Maharashtra’s Palghar district. On Thursday police arrested the 19-year-old accused in connection with the ghastly crime committed in Jawhar taluka of Palghar on Wednesday.

The child was with her grandparents while her parents were at work. The accused allegedly entered her house and sexually assaulted her. He was identified as a labourer involved in cable laying work in the victim’s locality.

Parents of the child lodged a police complaint, when the victim told her mother about the assault the next day. Following the incident, local activists from various political parties and social organisations from Jawhar and Mokhada staged a protest, demanding capital punishment for the accused.

The arrested accused was booked under section 64 (rape) and other relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the official said.