A man was arrested in Madhya Pradesh’s Satna on Thursday for allegedly raping a five-year-old girl, a year after he was released from jail for raping another minor, reported ANI.
The accused man, identified as 35-year-old Rakesh Verma, kidnapped the minor from outside a temple, where she used to beg along with her grandmother on Wednesday.
“The girl was sitting with her grandmother in temple premises at 5.30 pm when the accused, Rakesh Verma, approached her and said he would give her chocolates,” Satna Superintendent of Police Ashutosh Gupta said, reported the Hindustan Times. “He made her sit in his lap, following which the girl started crying and her grandmother asked him to leave her alone. However, the accused took the girl and fled the spot.”
Following this, the grandmother filed a complaint with the police. The police found Verma with the girl, who was unconscious and bleeding, near Jagat Dev Talab around 7 pm, Gupta said.
Verma was subsequently arrested, while the girl was taken to the district hospital. She was later referred to Rewa Medical College.
Verma was booked under sections 363 (kidnapping) and 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code and the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. He was sent to judicial custody on Thursday by a local court.
In 2012, Verma was sentenced to 10-years in jail for abducting and raping a four-year-old girl. He was released in May 2022, police said. However, citing Verma’s good behaviour in jail, the remaining three years of jail were pardoned, reported ANI.
“The accused did not show any regret and behaved as if he was mentally ill when questioned by the officers about the crime,” an unidentified investigating officer told the Hindustan Times. “In between fits of laughter, he would shout that jail was his second home.”
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!