Gujarat: Man held for abducting, raping 8-year-old girl in Rajkot

A man was arrested on Sunday in Gujarat’s Rajkot for allegedly raping an 8-year-old girl after abducting her, police said.

Hardev Mashru had abducted the child on Friday night from the city’s 80-feet ring road and raped her near Bharatnagar locality, said Rajkot Police Commissioner Manoj Agarwal.

“He was rounded up along with several others yesterday and placed under arrest on Sunday. Bloodstains have been found on his shirt which will tested forensically. We will ensure he gets maximum punishment,” he said.

The victim was sleeping beside her mother, who works as a labourer, in a public garden when Mashru kidnapped her and raped her near a bridge, an official said.

Her mother had filed a case at Thorala police station under sections 363 (kidnapping), 376 (rape), 506 (criminal intimidation) of IPC and provisions of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, he said.

The police managed to arrest the accused within few hours of the crime. Police had deployed 10 teams to search for the accused and a reward of Rs 50,000 was also announced by them for providing information about the accused. On the basis of all the evidence and CCTV, the police have arrested one accused today. The accused is just 22-years-old.

Rajkot Police Commissioner Manoj Aggarwal said that the accused Hardev Mangroliya was drunk when he kidnapped the minor and then raped her.

A person who was drinking with him at the time has identified him. According to the police, the accused is a labourer.