A 44-year-old man in Vadodara, Gujarat, was arrested on Thursday for raping three minor girls living in his residential complex in Makarpura area of the city, The Times of India reported. The incident came to light when one of the girls started crying in school during a class on sexual harassment and later informed her teacher of the assault.
The accused, identified as Rajnikant Mahto, used to lure girls into his house on the pretext of candies and chocolates, the police said. “The incident came into light when one of the girls narrated her ordeal to her teacher while getting lessons on ‘good touch, bad touch’,” Deputy Commissioner of Police Lakhdheersinh Zala told news agency ANI.
After the 12-year-old’s confession, her two siblings aged six and nine, also told teacher that they were molested by Mahto. The teacher then informed the girls’ parents. The students said they had not spoken about the assault till now because Mahto had threatened them.
Based on the statements, the police arrested Mahto, who confessed to having committed the crime during interrogation. “We have booked the accused under section 376 AB [of the Indian Penal Code], the amended law for rape.” RA Patel, inspector at Makarpura police station, told The Times of India, “We are also investigating if he had targeted any other girls or women from his building or elsewhere.”
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