Mumbai: A factory worker has been arrested for allegedly raping of a 5-year-old girl that took place last week in Mumbai’s Antop hill area.
The accused, 32-year-old Alam Ansari, was identified by the girl after the Wadala police showed her pictures of the suspects in the case.
“We showed the victim pictures of 10 suspects. She identified the accused herself. He works in a garment shop in the area. The child used to visit the shop with her mother”, said Senior Inspector Kadam of the Wadala Truck Terminal police station.
The accused has been charged under sections of the Indian Penal Code relating to Rape, Kidnapping and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, which are non-bailable offences.
The child was picked up by the accused on April 21 at a grocery shop where she had gone to buy chocolates. In CCTV footage of the area, the accused can be seen carrying the child in his arms at around 10:30 PM. She was raped in Antop Hill area two kilometers away.
The child was spotted bleeding and crying by local residents at around midnight who notified the police. However, they say that the child was not admitted to hospital for hours as police teams from Wadala Truck Terminal police station and Antop hill police station who arrived at the spot argued over jurisdiction. She was later taken to the nearby Sion Hospital after the residents intervened.
“The child was juggled between the two police stations for at least four hours before she was taken to Sion Hospital. That too, because residents finally lost their patience,” Mr. Sheesh Bhandari, a resident of Antop Hill claimed.
Two officers from the disputing police stations were suspended after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis intervened.
The accused will be presented in a local court today where the police is likely to demand his custody.
