A 19-year-old resident of Wadala in Mumbai was arrested on November 11 (Monday) for allegedly luring an 8-year-old on the pretext of showing her an Eid procession and later raping her in a public toilet.
A case has been registered against the accused, Chand Babu Sheikh, under section 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offence (POCSO) Act.
On Sunday, November 10, Sheikh saw the minor girl playing near her home in Kamala Nagar and asked her whether she wanted to see the ‘Eid E Milan’ procession. The girl readily agreed to go with him. Sheikh then allegedly took her to a public toilet in suburban Walada and raped her.
When the victim’s family could not spot her for some time, they inquired about the girl’s whereabouts with one of her friends who allegedly informed the family that she last saw the victim with Sheikh. After failing to locate their minor daughter, the victim’s family filed a complaint at the Wadala Truck Terminal police station.
The girl returned home late on Sunday night and had narrated her ordeal, following which the police launched a manhunt and checked CCTV footage where they found the man walking away with the girl. Locals immediately identified him as Chand Babu Sheikh. He was arrested on Monday.