Alertness of a neighbor rescued nine-year-old girl from the clutches of a rapist.

Surat : A nine-year-old girl had a miraculous escape from the clutches of a rapist after a woman residing in the neighborhood sounded an alarm on Monday. Police  have arrested the accused under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act.

Saloni, 9, a resident of Milindnagar slum at Sumul Dairy road, located under the jurisdiction of railways,  was lured by the accused in  his tin-shed hut in the same locality on Sunday afternoon. The incident took place at about 1.15 pm when the victim, who is studying in the third standard, was playing near her house.

The accused identified as Sunil Ishwar Patel, 29, a resident of Milindnagar slums at Sumul Dairy road offered chocolate to the victim and guided her toward his hut on Sunday afternoon. Meanwhile, one Meenaben, who is residing in the same locality, spotted the accused taking the girl inside his house and that she sounded an alarm.

A complaint in this connection was lodged by the victim’s grandmother in the Surat railway police station on Sunday. The accused is a daily wager and that he was living alone in the hut from the last many years.

The witness woman immediately informed the grandmother of the victim girl regarding the incident. Accompanied by few of the residents in the locality, the girl’s grandmother knocked the door of the accused and warned him with dire consequence and demanded to release her granddaughter.

Police inspector of railway police station, KM Chaudhary told TBT, “The accused opened the door and escaped from the spot. Thanks to the alertness of the woman residing in the locality, the girl was saved from the clutches of the rapist.”

Chaudhary  informed that the accused was nabbed from Sumul Dairy road on Monday. The medical examination of the victim girl has already been done.

“The victim had a miraculous escape from the rapist. She hasn’t suffered any injury. Had the woman not spotted her entering into the hut with the accused, the victim would have been raped. We have booked the accused under the POSCO Act and various sections of IPC”

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