SURAT: A 40-year-old migrant worker was detained by Pandesara police on Wednesday for sexually harassing a three-year-old girl in his neighbourhood.
The accused Prasan Pradhan, a resident of Bhestan, lured the minor, daughter of a migrant worker, by offering her chocolate. He took the girl to his home and sexually assaulted her after removing her clothes.
Police booked Pradhan under section 354A of IPC and sections 8 and 12 of POCSO Act. “The accused has been detained and he will be arrested after preliminary investigation,” said a police officer.
According to the complaint lodged by the girl’s mother, Pradhan allowed the minor to go home when she started crying due to the assault. After homing home, the minor went to tuition with her elder brother, but after returning home from the tuition she complained of pain in her private parts.
She told her mother about the assault and also identified Pradhan. The mother scolded Pradhan but he denied his involvement in the act. Initially, the mother did not inform anyone about the incident but as the child continued to have pain, she informed her husband, a textile weaving unit worker, at night.
Later, for verification, the girl’s parents asked the minor to show the residence of the accused and the minor took them to Pradhan’s house. She identified him as well. The parents then approached police and lodged a complaint.
The girl and her elder brother do not go to school but they attend a tuition class nearby. The minor was taken by the accused to his home when the girl was playing outside her home. At that time, the girl’s mother was at her home.
(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme court directives on cases related to sexual assault)
