NEW DELHI: Police have arrested a 37-year-old man for allegedly molesting three minor girls under the pretext of taking a selfie with them in Maharashtra’s Thane district, an official said on Sunday.
On Friday, three schoolgirls – one aged 8 and two aged 10 – were waiting for an auto-rickshaw to school in the OT Section area of Ulhasnagar township when the incident occurred.
According to Inspector Vikram Gaud of Vitthalwadi police station‘s crime branch, a local resident approached the young girls, pretending to take a selfie with them.
Frightened by his behaviour, the girls abandoned their school bags and rushed to one of their homes.
The perpetrator followed them, entering the house without permission, where he inappropriately touched the three minors and tried again to photograph himself with them, as reported by the official.
The girls’ screams alerted neighbours, who managed to apprehend the suspect.
Following the victims’ complaint, authorities arrested the accused on Friday night. He was charged under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, according to the official.
The police report did not elaborate on the reasons for including the SC/ST Act in the charges.
The investigation continues with police analysing local CCTV footage and gathering additional evidence, including witness testimonies.
(The victim’s identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault)
