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‘It was my own father’: Mother shocked after grandfather attempts to rape her 9-year-old daughter
The girl’s mother, who works at a clothing store, said she was still at work when the incident took place. “My daughter told me that the accused had removed her clothes and scratched her with his fingernails. It was my own father who committed this heinous act,” she said.
Delhi Police have detained Customs official Rahul Sinha for allegedly selling sensitive trade data to private companies in China. (File)
A day after a nine-year-old girl was subjected to an alleged rape attempt by her own maternal grandfather near the foothills of Parvati Hill in Pune, her parents have spoken out, demanding justice. The incident occurred on Tuesday evening around 7 pm, and the accused, 50, was arrested the same night following the intervention of alert neighbours.
The girl’s mother, who works at a clothing store, said she was still at work when the incident took place. “My daughter told me that the accused had removed her clothes and scratched her with his fingernails. It was my own father who committed this heinous act,” she said.
She also revealed that the accused had attempted something similar in the past. “He had attempted something similar before, but my daughter hadn’t told me then. I wasn’t aware of the first incident, and I only understood what had happened after it occurred a second time,” she added.
The girl’s father, who works as an auto-rickshaw driver, said their son was at home at the time, and his wife returned from work at around 9 pm. He demanded the death penalty for the accused. He also said the accused had been thrown out of their home about a year ago after he stole his mobile phone. “I do not know where he found a place to live after that. However, he knew exactly where the children usually play, so he likely lured my daughter away by tempting her with snacks,” he said.
According to Parvati police, marshals received information about the incident around 9:30 pm on Tuesday, after which they rushed to the spot. By then, residents in the area had already detained the accused. The girl was taken to Sassoon Hospital.
A case has been registered under Sections 6 and 10 of the POCSO Act, as well as Sections 75, 64, and 66 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The girl has since been discharged from the hospital. The alleged rape attempt was averted after a neighbour heard the girl crying and raised an alarm, bringing other residents to her rescue.
The incident triggered protests on Tuesday night, with furious residents gathering in large numbers outside the Swargate and Parvati police stations, demanding that the accused be handed over to them. The protests disrupted traffic in both areas, prompting a heavy police deployment to manage the situation and calm the crowds.
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Pune Mayor Manjusha Nagpure, while assuring that the probe would be conducted impartially and the accused brought to justice, called for collective action. “Counselling initiatives must be undertaken to prevent such incidents. Various organisations are already active in this regard – everyone should come together and actively get involved,” she said.
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