Man rapes 3-year-old girl in Valsad, arrested from train

The accused, originally from Maharashtra’s Palghar district, lived in the victim’s neighbourhood and was known to her family members, the official said.

The incident triggered the gherao of the police station on Tuesday night by hundreds of villagers, prompting the police to set up different teams involving officials of the crime branch and special operations group to nab the accused, police stated in a release.

The accused allegedly took the girl to his room located above her flat in a chawl and sexually assaulted her on Tuesday afternoon. He fled the spot when the victim’s mother found him with her daughter and boarded a Maharashtra-bound train,

police said.

The girl’s parents approached police around 6 pm following which Superintendent of Police Karanraj Vaghela formed different teams and a search operation was launched. The accused was arrested from a running train in Maharashtra hours after the case was registered.

He was booked under Section 65 (2) (for rape of a minor under 12 years of age) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, Vaghela told reporters.

“A special investigation team has been formed to probe the case. The SIT will file a chargesheet within 15 days,” he added.