Shopkeeper held for sexually harassing teenage girl in Navi Mumbai

The 48-year-old shopkeeper allegedly touched the girl inappropriately when she went to his shop in the Kalamboli area, said an official

A shopkeeper from Maharashtra's Navi Mumbai has been arrested for allegedly sexually harassing a teenage girl, the police said on Wednesday, reported the PTI.

The 48-year-old accused allegedly touched the girl inappropriately on October 13 when she went to his shop in the Kalamboli area, the official said.

The Police have not disclosed the minor's age

According to the PTI, the teenager ran home and informed her mother about the shopkeeper's behaviour. She and her mother then approached the police with a complaint against the shopkeeper, the official said.

The accused has been arrested for sexual harassment under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, said the station house officer of Kalamboli police station, the news agency reported on Wednesday.

Man held for stalking, harassing minor girl in Thane

Meanwhile, in an another incident, the Thane Police on Tuesday arrested a man for allegedly stalking and harassing an 11-year-old girl in Maharashtra's Thane district, an official said on Tuesday, reported the PTI.

The 30-year-old accused had allegedly stalked the victim while she was returning from her school. The stalking took place on multiple occasions, the police said.

The suspect had also allegedly tried to grab her and urged her to get into an auto-rickshaw, causing her distress and embarrassment, the official from Narpoli police station said, as per the PTI.

The suspect also allegedly threatened to harm the girl if she informed about the offence to anyone.

The girl's mother upon learning about the incident reached out to the police and filed a complaint on Sunday.

"The police launched an investigations into the matter after receiving her mother's complaint following which the man was arrested," said an official.

The man was booked under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 74 (assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 75 (sexual harassment), 78 (stalking) and 351(2) (criminal intimidation) and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the police said, adding that further investigations in the matter were underway.

(with PTI inputs)

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