Thane: 61-yr-old man held for molesting 10-yr-old girl in Kalyan

Thane: A 61-year-old senior citizen from Saparde village in Kalyan on Monday allegedly molested a 10-year-old girl belonging to a family of garbage collectors.

The Khadakpada police on Thursday informed that the incident took place when the minor girl went to buy tobacco for her father nearby her house at around 9 pm.

Case registered under POCSO

A case under the Child Sexual Offenses Act (POCSO) has been registered against the accused on the complaint of the girl's parents. Sarjerao Patil, senior police inspector, at Khadakpada police station said, "The victim, a 10-year-old girl, stays with her family. The family earns living by collecting garbage from the municipal waste ground."

On Monday night, the victim's father asked her to bring tobacco from a shop near their house. When the girl was coming home with tobacco she met a 61-year-old senior citizen who first started talking with her and later pulled her close and molested her. The girl pushed the man and escaped from his grip. Scared by what happened with her, she came home crying and narrated the incident to her parents.

Patil said, "The victim girl, her parents and other residents of the chawl in Saparde village went to the house of the accused Prakash Songya Patil (61). The accused was not at home. The father of the victim girl took the accused mobile number from his wife and son. When the victim's father contacted the accused and asked what did he do with his daughter he did not respond. As Prakash misbehaved with the victim, the victim girl's family filed a molestation complaint against Prakash Patil at Khadakpada police station on Monday. The police have registered a case and investigating it. Khadakpada police station assistant police inspector S. A. Gawli is investigating the matter."