22-yr-old held for kidnapping, sexually assaulting minor girl

NAVI MUMBAI: A 22-year-old man from Digha, who allegedly kidnapped and sexually assaulted a minor from Rabale MIDC, has been arrested by the police.

According to the police, the five-year-old was playing near her residence at Gawtevadi around 3pm on Friday while her mother was busy with her household chores and father was at work.

Taking advantage of the situation, Sahil Aslam Ansari, who was loitering in the area, took the girl towards the hills behind the village.

“As the accused was walking towards an isolated area with the girl, one of her relatives saw them and informed the girl’s mother. The mother, along with other people, immediately reached the spot and rescued the girl. The accused had allegedly kissed and touched the girl inappropriately by then,” said KN Gawde, sub-inspector, Rabale MIDC police station.

Those who had accompanied the girl’s mother caught the accused and later handed him over to the police.

Following an FIR registered by the girl’s mother, police formally arrested him in the evening.

The police have booked the accused under sections 363 (punishment for kidnapping) and 364 (kidnapping in order to murder) of the Indian Penal Code and section 8 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012. He was produced before the court on Saturday and has been remanded to police custody till January 13.

“We are trying to find why the accused took the girl to that isolated spot. He might have committed a heinous act had the girl not been rescued in time. We are also investigating if there was any personal enmity between the accused and the girl’s family,” another officer said.