Excise official arrested for ‘molesting’ 9-year-old girl

The girl, who is a Class-V student, managed to flee and take refuge at a neighbour’s house.

A senior official of the Customs and Central Excise SS Sharma was on Friday arrested by the Vadodara Crime Branch, after he surrendered in a case relating to an alleged molestation of a nine-year-old girl, who was the daughter of his servant.
A case under Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was lodged against him by girl’s mother on July 7. The accused had been absconding ever since.

The case was handed over to the city crime branch. ACP (crime) M B Joshi said Sharma, accompanied by his son and lawyer, arrived at the control room of the Police Bhavan on Friday morning, and surrendered.

“He surrendered after eluding arrest for four days. He has been sent to judicial custody. He has been booked for sexually harassing a nine-year-old girl,” Joshi said.

Sharma, who is posted as the commissioner, Central Excise and Customs (National Academy of Custom Excise and Narcotics), entered the house of his cook, who lives in the servants’ quarters near his house in Race Course Circle, and allegedly molested her daughter when she was alone in the house.

The girl, who is a Class-V student, managed to flee and take refuge at a neighbour’s house. The girl’s parents complained about this incident, which happened on Friday last week, to the chief commissioner, and then lodged an FIR with the Gotri police station on July 7. “We have learnt that Sharma is mentally troubled and is under psychiatric treatment. We are probing all angles, even though he has denied any wrong-doing after surrendering himself,” Joshi said.

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram