Have you seen this child molester?

(Left) The molester (in blue shirt) is seen following the 11-year-old in CCTV footage. Cops are trying to identify the 25-year-old. Pics/Hanif Patel

In a bid to catch hold of an alleged child molester and ensure he doesn't hurt anyone else, residents of Vasai have been circulating images of an approximately 25-year-old man, who on Wednesday evening fled after molesting an 11-year-old girl. The residents have been instructing others to inform the police immediately if they happen to spot the accused.

Caught on CCTV
The man in the images, who has not been identified yet, has been caught on CCTV following the 11-year-old girl. The incident occurred between 5 pm to 6 pm on Wednesday, when the standard VI student was making her way to her tuition classes that are situated just a couple of buildings away from where she resides in Manikpur.

Before she could go up to the first floor where the classes are conducted, the 25-year-old allegedly grabbed her from behind and began forcefully kissing her. She tried to escape from his clutches and shout for help, but he held her in such a way that she could do neither. In the meantime, her teacher came out, but before she could understand what had happened, the accused ran out. He's seen leaving the same building on CCTV too. The girl then spoke about the incident to people around her and informed her parents. A local said, "When we checked the CCTV footage, we saw unknown person, around 25 years old, wearing a blue shirt and blue jeans, carrying a backpack and stalking the girl. Initially, he was moving in another direction, but when he saw the girl coming towards him, he stopped and began following her."

Case registered
The local added, "We then went to the Manikpur police station, where we narrated the incident to the police. Based on the complaint of the victim's parents, the police have registered a case against the accused." "We've heard about the 'serial molester' who has been arrested for sexually assaulting more than 17 children last year. This man seems and looks like another serial molester. This is the first such case that has emerged in Vasai recently. We have circulated his image and the CCTV footage extensively to fellow Vasai residents, our relatives and others to identify the accused and inform cops immediately so he gets caught." "We have registered the case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the POCSO Act and are doing the further investigations. We've scanned the CCTV footage and shared images from it with various police stations," said API Asif Beg from Manikpur police station.

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