A young man who sells toys for a living has been accused of raping little girls in his neighbourhood in a slum in Chanakyapuri here.
Five girls in Sanjay Camp, near the Nigerian Embassy in the high-security diplomatic enclave, have confirmed that 21-year-old Johnny Ghosh sexually assaulted them.
Aged between seven and 12 years, the victims said they were lured into his tiny room on the pretext of fetching tea and snacks, or were offered toffees.
One of the victims, a 12-year-old, told The Hindu that she was tied up, drugged and raped. “He fed me a white tablet because of which I fainted. Before leaving, he threatened me with a knife,” the girl said.
Johnny had allegedly been abusing the girls since at least two months. The incident came to light on May 3 when one of the victims, a nine-year-old, told her mother.
“My daughter seemed scared when I returned from work. I scolded her for hiding something from me, after which she revealed that she had been raped by Johnny,” said the girl’s mother, who works as a maid.
The girl’s family then thrashed Johnny before handing him over to the police. He has been booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO).
Johnny’s role as an alleged serial sexual offender emerged when the girl was giving her statement before a magistrate. “It was there that she mentioned Johnny raping at least five other girls in the locality. We spoke to them, and four of confirmed being raped. However, the fifth girl, who is a distant relative of Johnny, denied it,” said a senior police officer.
Subsequently, four additional cases under the POCSO Act were registered.
Investigators said Johnny confessed to his crime when presented with the statements of the victims.
Among the five victims are two pairs of sisters, who have alleged sexual abuse on several occasions. “He would threaten to kill my mother if I revealed it to anyone. He kept a knife on his bed before asking me to lie down,” alleged an 11-year-old victim.
The victim’s parents said they never suspected Johnny as the children would call him mama (maternal uncle) and he would often visit their homes,” said the mother of one of the victims.
A native of Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, Johnny had been living alone in a hut in the slum since seven years. He had completed his Class 12 and taken computer courses.
