Amrut Nagar in Ghatkopar went on the boil for almost three hours on Saturday after news spread about a two-and-a-half-year old girl being kidnapped and raped by her 24-year-old neighbour
The 24-year-old accused was beaten up by residents when they found him with the child. Pic/Rajesh Gupta
Amrut Nagar in Ghatkopar went on the boil for almost three hours on Saturday after news spread about a two-and-a-half-year old girl being kidnapped and raped by her 24-year-old neighbour at Ramnagar in the same suburb.
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The 24-year-old accused was beaten up by residents when they found him with the child. Pic/Rajesh Gupta
Around 150 people blocked streets and forced shops to down shutters in protest against the heinous assault. The child has been admitted to Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar and her condition is said to be critical. The crowd dispersed only after senior police officers accepted their application asking for the strictest punishment for the rapist.
According to the Parksite Police, the accused kidnapped the toddler on Friday night when she was eating dinner with her mother on the staircase of their house. The mother had gone into the kitchen to bring more rice for the child and returned to find her missing. She immediately raised an alarm and started searching for her daughter. Several others joined in the search.
When residents reached Khandoba Tekdi, which is about 500 metres from her house, they found the child on the ground crying bitterly and bleeding from her private parts. "It was a good thing that the residents managed to reach the spot around 10.30 pm. If they had waited until morning, anything could have happened. We will now make a strong case against the accused," Chougule said.
Shops in Ghatkopar remained shut for a couple of hours on Saturday to protest against the rape of a 2-year-old that took place in Vikhroli. Pic/Prabhanjan Dhanu
The 24-year-old was with the child when they found her and the residents started beating him up. He initially told them that his friend had raped the child and he was only pacifying her. "We took the accused into custody and when we questioned him, he admitted to the crime," said Prakash Chougule, inspector of Parksite police station.
The police said the accused used to work in a medical shop as a delivery boy, but had recently become jobless. The girl is the only child of her parents. The accused was taken to the Bhoiwada holiday court, which granted him police custody till August 16. He has been booked under section 363 kidnapping, 376 (2) rape by known person and various sections of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO).
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