The police, on Friday, arrested a 26-year-old man, under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), 2012, for allegedly sexually assaulting an 18-month-old girl.
The accused, Deepesh Pradhan, from Darjeeling, was part of the housekeeping and maintenance staff of a residential building, at Doddakannahalli in HSR Layout. The girl’s parents, from Darjeeling, also work in the building: her father is a security guard and her mother a domestic help.
The family lived in a makeshift house next to the residential complex.
According to the police, the parents had left the child alone at home as they both had to go to work on Thursday. Taking advantage of the situation, the accused assaulted the girl, a police officer said. When the girl started yelling, he tried to flee, but neighbours stopped him.
On hearing the commotion, her father rushed to the house. According to the police, a preliminary examination of the child by a doctor came back positive for sexual assault. “It is based on this that we have arrested Deepesh, who has been subjected to a medical examination,” said a police officer. He added that the accused confessed to the crime.
Deepesh has been remanded in judicial custody. He had joined the house keeping staff at the apartment a few months ago and was also living in the makeshift house with other employees. The accused was close to the couple and used to visit them often, the police said.
The accused
was part of the housekeeping staff of a residential building
