8-year-old Canadian girl reports molestation by cousin in Khanna

LUDHIANA: An eight-year-old Canadian citizen girl of Indian origin has got registered a case against her teenaged cousin for alleged molestation when she was staying with his family in Iklaha village of Khanna in Punjab’s Ludhiana district two years ago. The police in Canada had video recorded her statement and sent it to the Khanna police, who have registered a case of molestation but not arrested the 15-year-old accused till Saturday.

JS Dhaliwal, the victim’s advocate here, said she had come to Iklaha for studies in August 2014, but went back in June 2016 after she could not adapt to the environment.

Dhaliwal said that after reaching Canada she remained “uncomfortable”. “When asked, she told her parents that the cousin (son of her father’s sister) molested her in April 2015 when all other family members had gone to visit some relatives”. The family took the girl to the Canadian police, who recorded her statement and sent it to the police here with a report.

Khanna senior superintendent of police (SSP) Navjot Singh Mahal said the case has been registered, but added that a probe had pointed towards rivalry between the two families, so the cops wanted to complete the investigation before making any arrest. Family of the accused claims that he was in Bassi Pathana, Fatehgarh Sahib, on the day of the alleged crime in April 2015.