PUDUCHERRY:A 70-year-old person was arrested for sexually assaulting a 3-year-old girl in Bahour on Thursday.
Police said the three-year-old, whose parents are daily wage workers, was put up on Anganwadi street in Kuruvinatham in Bahour. On Wednesday, the mother had dropped the child at a nearby Anganwadi before leaving for work. When she returned to take the child home, she could not find her there and anganwadi staff informed her that the child’s “uncle” had taken her.
After a while, the mother spotted the accused Thandavarayan emerging from a bush with the child. The three-year-old was crying and when the mother questioned her about it, she narrated the sexual assault on her. The mother then attacked the 70-year-old man which attracted the attention of people in the area. After learning about the incident, they also allegedly vented their ire on the man. He was later handed over to police.
Sources said Thandavarayan, a resident of Eripakkam, had come to visit a relative staying close to the house of the child. An inebriated Thandavarayan managed to take the girl to the secluded place and assaulted her. As per protocol, police informed the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) about the incident. A medical examination was done on the child on Wednesday night. During the interrogation, Thandavarayan confessed to the crime following which he was arrested on Thursday. The accused was booked under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act) 2012.