A 33-year-old man was arrested Monday for allegedly sexually assaulting his six-year-old neighbour in Noida’s Sector 113 on Saturday, police said.
Police said victim lives with her parents and 11-year-old sister. The family, originally from Bihar, earns their livelihood as daily wagers.
According to a police officer involved in the investigation, the suspect called the girl while she was playing outside on Saturday afternoon and touched her inappropriately.
“The victim’s elder sister was at home at the time. When her parents returned from work in the evening, they noticed a change in the child’s behaviour. Upon counselling, she disclosed the incident,” the officer said, asking not to be identified.
On Sunday, the parents filed a police complaint. The suspect, also a native of Bihar, was booked under Section 79 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act at the Sector 113 police station Sunday night. “He was arrested and was produced before the court,” said Vipin Kumar, station house officer, Sector 113 police station. Further investigation is underway.
The minor’s father told HT, “When I returned home from work late Saturday evening, I observed that my daughter was terrified. When I counselled her, she somehow gathered courage and revealed that my next-door neighbour took her inside his home by offering ₹10 and a cold drink. Inside his home, he inappropriately touched my daughter and when she shouted out loud, he left my girl.”
“Subsequently, we approached the suspect’s house, who lives in the adjacent street, along with my daughter. As soon as she spotted him, she got scared and identified him. The suspect, who appeared to be drunk when I approached him, refused to indulge in any discussion,” he said, adding, “I along with my family had moved to Noida around five months back. My daughter has been scared since the incident took place. We don’t know much about the suspect. But we were informed that he was residing in the area before we moved.”
