Stepfather sexually assaults minor girl, brands her with hot iron

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The police recently arrested a 24-year-old man for sexually assaulting his minor stepdaughter and branding her with a hot iron all over her body. The Srirangam all-women police arrested the man on charges of sexual assault of a child below 12 years of age and causing bodily harm, under the POCSO Act and Juvenile Justice Act, a Times of India report read.

A few neighbours also made the girl narrate her ordeal and show her injuries, and recorded a video. They later sent the video to the police on social media and it went viral.

The report said the incident came to light after the Sevai Child Line coordinator I Muralikumar lodged a complaint with the all-women police station (AWPS) on getting an alert from an unknown caller about the child abuse.

The police then nabbed the man and questioned him all night in presence of the girl and her mother. The girl's mother married the accused a few years ago after her husband passed away. The accused is unemployed and the woman earns for his family.

On January 21, when the girl's mother was away for work, the accused sexually assaulted her. He also branded her with a hot iron all over her body. The girl then informed her mother about the incident. Police then arrested the accused and he was produced before a court and remanded in judicial custody.

"Since the mother was reluctant to bring the matter to the notice of the police, some neighbours made the girl speak in the video and sent it to some officers on social media. It is a blatant violation of child rights. We asked the police to trace the person and take legal action against him," Muralikumar was quoted as saying in the report.

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