A 30-year-old ragpicker was arrested by the Panvel Government Railway Police (GRP) for raping a three-year-old girl who was sleeping on the railway station with her mother.
As per reports from Hindustan Times, the offender, Mukesh Kumar Babu Sah (30), was identified using CCTV footage and apprehended within hours of the event being reported by the victim's mother.
On Wednesday night, the victim was sleeping with her mother on Panvel railway station's platform number one. The mother woke about 3 am on Thursday and went to the restroom; upon her return, she discovered that her child had gone missing. When she couldn't find her, she approached Panvel GRP and told them about her lost child.
Child found unconscious
After searching for her, officers discovered her unconscious on a cement bench on the western side of the railway station.
A police official from Panvel GRP said that the child was immediately transported to the hospital, and a case of rape was registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Police later recognised the offender as a rag picker after reviewing surveillance footage.
The accused was tracked down to the Juinagar train station and apprehended there on Thursday evening.
