Man arrested for kidnapping, sexually assaulting 4-year-old girl

New Delhi, Dec 27 (PTI) A 40-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly kidnapping and sexually assaulting a four-year-old girl in north Delhi’s Bhalswa Dairy area, police said.

They said the girl had gone missing last Wednesday evening while she was playing outside her home. Her parents lodged a complaint at the Bhalswa Dairy police station, following which a case under IPC section 363 (punishment for kidnapping) was registered.

Around 7 am the next day, the girl was found near a park. She was taken to a hospital, where doctors disclosed that she was a victim of sexual assault, the police officials said.

Other relevant charges, including provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, were added after this, they said.

A video has surfaced on social media in which the accused can be seen purportedly taking the girl somewhere.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer North) Devesh Kumar Mahla said accused Anil Pathak was arrested from the Bhalswa Dairy area.

He said police received information that Pathak had been spotted in the locality, but before a team could pick him up, local people identified him and beat him up.

The accused claimed that he had gone out of the national capital after the incident. The claims are being verified and further investigation in the case is underway, a senior police officer said.

Pathak, a daily wager, used to live with his wife and kids in the Bhalswa Dairy area, police said, adding that 10 teams had been formed to investigate the case.

The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) had issued a notice to the city police, seeking an action-taken report over the incident.