Journalism of Courage
Pune city police launched a probe after a man who had been sexually harassing a minor girl allegedly attempted to throw an “acid-like chemical” at her on Sunday, officers said. Police arrested the 24-year-old suspect and said the girl did not sustain any injury from the chemical.
The inspector in charge of the police station said, “Prima facie, the acid-like chemical is similar to the ones used to clean toilets. We are probing into it.”
An FIR was registered in this regard at a police station in Pune based on the complaint filed by the 16-year-old girl’s mother. According to the complaint, the man had been sexually harassing the girl since October last year. The suspect had inappropriately touched the girl, made advances and demanded sexual favours, it added. Recently he asked her to accompany him on a trip, which the girl refused. On Sunday afternoon, he tried to throw the chemical at the girl near her home, the complaint said. The girl’s family then approached the police.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police who has jurisdiction where the incident took place said, “The girl has not sustained any injury as the chemical thrown by the suspect fell on the ground. A search was immediately launched for the suspect.”
The police have booked the man under sections of the Indian Penal Code pertaining to sexual harassment, assault to cause grievous hurt and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO).
