Minor molested in Mumbai’s Nagpada; accused held

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 21 (ANI): An earring seller has been arrested for allegedly molesting an eight-year-old girl in the Nagpada area of Mumbai on Wednesday, police said. The police further said that the accused had been identified as Zubair Shah.

“A case of molestation of an 8-year-old girl was registered in the Nagpada area of Mumbai. An earring seller molested the girl. The accused touched the girl inappropriately. Mumbai’s Nagpada Police has arrested Zubair Shah who was selling earrings,” Nagpada police said.

“Case registered under POCSO Act. Further investigation underway,” police added.

Earlier in the day a school teacher was arrested in Maharashtra’s Akola district on charges of molestation following complaints from six school girls, police said on August 21.

The incident came to light after schoolgirls filed a complaint about the teacher who has been identified as Pramod Manohar Sardar. Police have recorded the statements of the victim girls.

The accused was arrested on Tuesday evening.

Superintendent of Police Akolka Bachchan Singh told ANI, “Akola Police received a complaint of molestation of six school girls by Pramod Manohar Sardar, a teacher of the Zilla Parishad School in Kajikhed. Police immediately arrested the accused teacher and recorded the statements of the victim girls.”

“Cases under sections 74 and 75 of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita and POCSO Act were registered,” SP Singh added.

Further investigation into the case is underway, he said.

Meanwhile, two minor girls were allegedly sexually assaulted at a school in Maharashtra’s Badlapur, sparking violent protests and subsequent reported police action on the protesters who had gathered on the streets demanding justice for the victims.

Maharashtra Police has arrested more than 40 people and registered an FIR against 300 people following the massive protest over the incident that led to stone-pelting, disruption of train services and lathi- -charges on Tuesday.