Himachal: Man allegedly assaults 10-year-old girl, flees after locals intervene
A 10-year-old girl was allegedly molested and assaulted by an unidentified man in Paonta Sahib area of Himachal Pradesh's Sirmaur district on Raksha Bandhan, following which police registered a case and launched a search for the accused, officials said.
A case was registered on a complaint by the girl's mother under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, police said.
According to police, the girl's mother had gone to Vikasnagar in neighbouring Uttarakhand for some work on the evening of Raksha Bandhan. When she returned home around 7 pm, she found that her daughter and son were missing.
The boy returned home at around 10 pm and told the family that his sister had been with him but had suddenly disappeared. The family then began searching for her.
The girl allegedly told police that she was playing with her brother outside the Paonta Sahib Gurdwara when a young man approached her and lured her away on the pretext of introducing her to his wife.
The man allegedly took her on his two-wheeler to a secluded area, where he assaulted her, police said.
Meanwhile, three local youths reportedly heard a girl's screams from fields near the Yamuna Vihar area. When they reached the spot, they allegedly found the man holding the girl.
The accused fled after noticing the youths approaching, leaving his two-wheeler behind. The youths then rescued the girl and took her, along with the vehicle, to Paonta police station.
Sirmaur Superintendent of Police NS Negi confirmed that a case had been registered and said police teams were conducting raids to apprehend the suspect.
The investigation is underway, police said.
(With inputs from PTI)
