Mumbai: A 28-year-old man has been arrested by Mumbai police for allegedly following a 10-year-old boy and taking his photographs and videos on a mobile phone with the suspected intention of committing a sexual offence against him.
The accused has been identified as Abhijit Ashok Surve, 28. The incident came to light after the Class IV student of Kendriya Vidyalaya, IIT Powai, allegedly told his parents that an unknown man had followed him into the premises of his residential building and stopped him.
Child narrates incident to parents
According to the FIR, the complainant, a 33-year-old Assistant Director working with the Ministry of Agriculture, lives with his family in Ghatkopar East. His 10-year-old son travels to and from school in a private school van.
On September 7, the boy left for school at around 6.45 am and was dropped at the building gate by his mother before boarding the private school van. At around 2.30 pm, the van dropped him back near the building gate. As his mother was delayed in reaching the gate, the boy reportedly walked home alone.
CCTV footage captures alleged interaction
The child appeared frightened when he reached home. When his mother asked him what had happened, he allegedly told her that an "uncle" had entered the building gate, stopped him and taken his photographs on his mobile phone.
After the boy's father returned home, he questioned him about the incident. The child allegedly told him that the man had followed him, asked questions about his school and family, and claimed that he worked for a company that made videos of schoolchildren. The man then allegedly recorded the boy and took photographs before the child ran towards his home.
Police examine CCTV footage from area
The family subsequently checked CCTV footage from cameras installed inside and outside the building. According to the FIR, footage recorded between around 2.36 pm and 2.42 pm showed an unidentified man following the boy, speaking to him outside the gate, entering the premises behind him, preventing him from proceeding towards his home, and allegedly taking photographs of him from the front and rear. The footage also allegedly captured the man engaging in inappropriate behaviour with the child.
The complainant approached Pant Nagar police station, following which police registered a case under Sections 126(2) and 359 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Sections 8 and 12 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and Section 66E of the Information Technology Act.
CCTV network helps identify suspect
During the investigation, police obtained photographs of the suspect from the CCTV footage. Investigators then examined around 50 to 60 CCTV recordings from the area surrounding the building and along the suspected route taken by the man.
According to police, the suspect was subsequently traced to a paan shop, where he had allegedly made a Rs15 payment through Amazon Pay. The transaction helped investigators identify and trace him to the vicinity of his residential building, where he was detained for questioning.
Police said that a search of the mobile phone allegedly used by Surve led to the recovery of photographs and videos of the victim as well as several other children. Following the investigation into his alleged involvement, Surve was arrested.
Police have seized an iPhone 15 allegedly used in the crime, along with the clothes he was wearing at the time of the incident.
Investigators are now examining the recovered material and CCTV footage to determine whether the accused allegedly targeted or engaged in similar acts involving other children. Further investigation is underway.
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