With a partial vehicle registration number seen in CCTV footage as their only clue, the Pune police have managed to trace and nab a 45-year-old serial molester who allegedly targeted an eight-year-old girl in Kondhwa area recently, an official said.
The accused, Maruti Nanaware, has six cases of molestation and kidnapping registered against him and served 10-year imprisonment in a rape case in 2013.
In the latest incident, which took place last month, an eight-year-old girl was allegedly molested by an unidentified person in the Kondhwa area.
"During the investigation, we checked around 100 CCTV footages and a partial registration number of a vehicle was spotted in one of the footage. Based on this lead, we finally managed to trace the accused," the police official said.
The investigation revealed Nanaware had six different cases registered against him in Swargate, Bharti Vidyapeeth, Bibwewadi and Sahakar Nagar areas between 2007 and 2013.
"In the case registered at Sahakar Nagar police station in 2013, he served 10 years in jail on charges of rape and abduction," the official said.
In the latest case, Nanaware was arrested under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, he added.
Earlier this month, a 17-year-old girl was molested while she was on her way to buy milk. The incident occurred in a lift within the building premises, where an unknown individual intentionally touched her body. The victim immediately reported the incident, prompting the filing of a case at Samarth Police Station. This unfortunate event transpired at 11:15pm on December 10.
Swift police action led to the apprehension of the alleged perpetrator, identified as Irfan Khan, a resident of Wanawadi Goan. The minor girl's mother had sent her to a nearby shop for milk. As the girl was exiting the lift, an unknown person attempted to enter and took advantage of the confined space to inappropriately touch her.
