New Tehri, Jul 6 (PTI) A meat trader has been arrested for allegedly molesting a girl at his shop in Jakhnidhar market of Uttarakhand’s Tehri district, police said on Monday.
The alleged sexual assault of the minor sparked massive outrage among locals, prompting police to take precautionary measures to maintain law and order.
Tehri Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shweta Chaubey said a police team rushed to the spot on Monday morning after receiving information about the incident.
She said the accused, who belongs to a different community, has been arrested.
A case has been registered against him under provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, based on a complaint filed by the minor’s mother. A medical examination of the victim has also been conducted, officials said.
The accused allegedly lured the girl into his shop on Sunday evening. When the girl did not emerge even after about half-an-hour, nearby shopkeepers and locals grew suspicious and approached the shop.
Seeing the crowd approaching, the accused allegedly unlatched the closed shop door and let the girl out.
A large crowd gathered in the market as news of the incident spread. Outraged locals informed police and demanded strict legal action against the accused. Local traders and villagers also warned the accused to vacate the market immediately, stating that such acts would not be tolerated in the area.
On Monday morning, activists from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal joined locals in a protest against the incident. Protesters accused Ahmed of attempting to entrap the minor in ‘love jihad’. They demanded a thorough investigation into the matter from Tehri District Magistrate Nitika Khandelwal and police.
According to police, the accused hails from Uttar Pradesh’s Bijnor district, and had been running a meat shop in Jakhnidhar market for the past two years. PTI DPT ARB ARB
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