8-year-old girl molested by landlord in Jehangirabad

BHOPAL

: An 8-year-old girl, residing with her uncle and aunt in

Jehangirabad

locality was allegedly molested by a 53-year-old man on Monday evening.

The accused threatened the girl of dire consequences if the minor revealed the incident to anyone due to which she kept mum. When her uncle and neighbours witnessed a sudden change in her behaviour, they counselled her after which the minor gathered courage and narrated her ordeal to them.

A complaint was lodged with Jehangirabad police on Tuesday and a case registered against the accused under relevant sections of the

Indian Penal Code

and POCSO Act. Cops have arrested the accused, identified as Vijay Shrivastava.

Investigation officer ASI OP Kamalpuria said that the girl hails from

Betul district

and resides with her uncle and aunt in Barkhedi. They moved into the rented house of the accused around 2 months back. The accused resides in another portion of house.

The girl recently got admitted to Class 1 at a city-based school and her uncle works in Govindpura industrial area. The minor's uncle told police that his wife went to her village in Betul around 15 days back since she gave birth to a child. He along with the minor stayed back in Bhopal.

The uncle alleged that on Monday, while he had gone to work, the accused called the minor girl at his house around 4.30pm and molested her. When she started crying, the accused threatened her of dire consequences and left her.

The women who reside in the neighbourhood witnessed a sudden change in her behaviour and asked her uncle to counsel her. When her uncle asked the reason for her change in behaviour, the minor broke into tears and narrated the entire ordeal.