Duo booked for sexual assault, arson in Ludhiana; one arrested; FIR lodged after 2 months.

Ludhiana: More than two months after a 20-year-old woman was allegedly targeted for sexual assault and her father's vehicle was set ablaze, the Model Town police have finally lodged an FIR, citing ongoing compromise talks as the reason for the delay. The police arrested one of the two accused on Friday following a case registered under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).The woman alleged that on January 2, while she was alone at home, the accused neighbors barged into the house and attempted to sexually assault her. As she screamed for help, locals gathered and nabbed the duo. The crowd thrashed the men and forced them to apologise to the victim. However, fumed over the public humiliation, the accused allegedly returned on the night of January 3. The family heard an explosion and rushed outside to find the father's pickup jeep, which was parked outside the house, engulfed in flames.Thereafter, the family lodged a complaint with the police. Despite the severity of the allegations, the Model Town police registered the FIR after a gap of approximately two and a half months. Investigating officer ASI Avtar Singh stated that a case has been registered under sections 74 (assault or criminal force against a woman to outrage her modesty), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), 326(f) (mischief by fire or explosive substances intended to damage property), and 3(5) (acts done by several persons in furtherance of a common intention) of the BNS. When questioned about the significant delay in registering the case, the ASI explained that the complainant and the accused were initially in talks for a compromise. One accused has been arrested while efforts are on to nab the second individual involved in the crime, police said.