Man wanted for ‘molesting’ French 16-year-old absconding for 11 days

NEWDELHI: Delhi Police on Monday said they are yet to arrest the father of a Delhi student accused of ‘ molesting a 16-year-old French girl’, who was in India for students’ exchange programme and was staying with the family. The accused, police said, has been absconding since the incident took place on October 18.

An FIR pertaining to the matter was registered on October 23.

The accused, who runs a departmental store in Saket, has moved the Delhi high court for anticipatory bail, police said, adding that several raids have been conducted at his possible hideouts in Delhi, Uttarakhand, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. His family members, relatives and friends have also been questioned, police said.

Meanwhile, the French student has returned to her country after recording her statement before a magistrate. Police said the girl, in her statement, alleged that the businessman “touched and hugged her inappropriately” while she was packing for a trip to Jaipur on October 18.

“The girl alleged the 45-yearold man came to her first-floor room by saying he will help her pack her bag. His wife and daughter were on the ground floor. The girl alleged that the man hugged her and told her that she was a bright student and he liked her for that. He also touched her inappropriately,” said a police officer on condition of anonymity.

The man’s daughter had gone to France for an exchange programme in May-june this year and had stayed at the French student’s home. As an exchange, when the French girl came to Delhi earlier this month, she was assigned to stay with the Delhi student, the officer said.

According to police, the French student yelled at the man but she did not inform his daughter and wife about the incident. She left their home the next day and went for the Jaipur trip along with the other French students. In Jaipur, the girl told her teacher about the incident. The teacher, in turn, brought the incident to the notice of the French Embassy.

“The girl returned to Delhi and filed a police complaint. We registered a case of molestation under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act at Neb Sarai police station. The embassy has been updated about police action,” said RP Upadhyay, special commissioner of police (law and order south zone). “We had been informed about the incident by a teacher. Since then, we have been in touch with the girl’s family and the Indian authorities, including police,” a spokesperson of the French Embassy said.