Mira-Bhayandar: 31-yr-old Absonding POCSO Offender Arrested After 4 Years

More than four years after evading arrest, a 31-year-old man finally landed into the custody of the police for his involvement in kidnapping and sexually exploiting a minor girl in Mira Road. According to the police the accused who has been identified as Raees Sharif Shaikh, 31, had abducted the girl and established sexual relations with her. He also forced the minor girl to marry him. Following a complaint filed by the girl’s parents, the Mira Road police registered an offence under the relevant sections of the IPC, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act-2012 and under section 9 of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 on 4, March, 2019.

Suspect went absconding for four years

While the girl was rescued and reunited with her family, the accused had given a slip to the police team and had remained absconding for more than four years. While going through unsolved cases, senior police inspector Vijaysingh Bagal and his crime detection team started re-investigations into the matter. Police Sub-Inspector- Kiran Vanjari activated his core informer network in the region. Acting on a tip-off, Vanjari apprehended the accused from Shanti Park area of Mira Road on Saturday. A native Agra in Uttar Pradesh, the accused constantly changed his location to dodge the police. He has been remanded to custody after he was produced before the district sessions court, Thane on Monday. Further investigations are underway.