On 17th January, Jabalpur Police arrested a 42-year-old man named Mohammad Islam for abducting and sexually assaulting a five-year-old minor girl. The crime took place on 15th January in Hanumantal Police Station Area. According to media reports, the victim used to call the accused “Nanu” (maternal grandfather). Islam allegedly lured the girl with a mere five rupees and sexually assaulted her.
On the day of the incident, at around 7 PM, the girl was playing just a few metres away from her house with her friend, who happened to be the granddaughter of Mohammad Islam, a familiar face in the neighbourhood. Islam approached her with the promise of buying her chips and handed over Rs 5 to the little girl. He then carried her into his home under the guise of playing. Once inside, he stuffed a piece of cloth into her mouth to ensure she did not shout and sexually assaulted her. After the assault, Islam left the crying girl outside her house and escaped the scene at around 8:30 PM.
When the distressed kid returned home, she started removing her clothes. Her mother noticed that her pyjama was wet and asked her what happened. She managed to explain what Islam did to her, specifically mentioning that “Nanu took off my clothes”. The shocked mother immediately went to Islam’s residence to confront him, but the house was locked.
On the day of the incident, the victim’s father was not at home. The next day, on 16th January, when he returned, the victim’s mother informed him about the incident after which he reached the police station and filed a complaint.
Acting on the complaint, a team was formed, led by Station Officer Dheeraj Raj and Sub-Inspector Sangita Choudhary to nab Islam. On 17th January, the police got a tip-off from an informant that Islam was seen near his house in the morning attempting to leave the city. Police swiftly swung into action and cordoned off the area where he was last seen. Islam operates a garbage truck for his livelihood.
Islam has been booked under relevant sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The young survivor was promptly taken to a hospital for medical examination. Further investigation in the case is underway.
OpIndia tried contacting police in the matter but could not connect.
