Delhi: Man held for raping 7-yr-old, police say has history of sexual abuse

“During the investigation, we found CCTV footage from nearby showing the girl following the accused near a market. A while later, the accused can be seen walking with her and talking to the child,” a senior police officer said.

Police said CCTV footage also shows that before approaching her, he had followed two more children from the same locality, but they went inside their homes. “He took her to an isolated place where he allegedly raped her. He threatened her not to speak about it and dropped her near her home. She informed her mother, who told her husband and approached police,” a senior police officer said.

The girl was taken to a hospital where she is recuperating. “Police lodged an FIR and formed several teams to arrest him,” the officer said.

After scanning over 50 CCTV cameras, police found footage of the accused and started door-to-door verification. “Police, in the meantime, got to know through their informers that the accused resembled someone earlier arrested in the Khyala area. A team was sent to the police station there and they scanned his case file. They traced his uncle, who provided vital clues about him,” the officer said.

Police found that the accused had come to know that several teams were looking for him. “He left the city and went to Haryana. With the help of technical surveillance, police tracked down his location and apprehended him. He is being questioned,” an officer said. Family and neighbours of the girl meanwhile staged a protest outside the police station and demanded immediate action against the accused.