A 17-year-old boy was taken into custody on Sunday for raping a 5-year-old girl in Nashik on Saturday evening. The assault triggered protests in the area, and police said residents of Talegaon village – 30 km from Nashik – set the teenager's house on fire. He is being treated for injuries at a hospital in Nashik, NDTV reported.
The accused allegedly lured the victim and her elder sister out of their house with chocolates while their mother had gone to fetch water. He took them to an isolated location, where he raped the 5-year-old as her elder sister managed to escape. A complaint was registered after she told her family about the incident.
Protestors blocked the Mumbai-Agra highway, leaving commuters stranded for hours. They also set two police vehicles on fire, prompting authorities to heighten security across Nashik. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told ANI he had ordered for a chargesheet to be filed in the case at the earliest.
The incident comes three months after the gangrape and murder of a 14-year-old in Khopardi, Ahmednagar district, triggered silent, but massive, protests among the Maratha community. Marathas had demanded a death sentence for the the accused.
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