In an incident that has sent shock waves in Nikol area, an 8-year-old girl was sexually assaulted and a murder attempt was made on her by a neighbour.
The accused, identified as Ajay Rajput (36), allegedly lured the girl to the terrace of their residential building, where the crime occurred. The Nikol police have arrested the accused and investigated the matter.
According to the police, the incident occurred in a government housing board in the Nikol area, where the girl was playing near her home. The accused, under the influence of alcohol, reportedly took her to the terrace, where he committed the heinous act. After assaulting the girl, he allegedly attempted to strangle her. However, the girl’s screams alerted the residents.
Frightened, the accused fled to his home and the girl managed to escape, after which she alerted the neighbours about the incident, identifying Rajput as the perpetrator. The enraged crowd dragged the accused out of his house, thrashed him and later handed him over to the police.
“We have arrested Ajay Rajput under charges of rape, attempt to murder, and relevant sections of the POCSO Act. The investigation is ongoing,” said ACP Krunal Desai of the I Division.
During the preliminary investigation, it was found that Rajput resides with his mother and brother. His wife reportedly eloped with another man one and a half years ago. Rajput works as a contractual labourer with the Railways and has a history of alcohol addiction.
“On the day of the incident, Rajput was allegedly intoxicated when he lured the girl to the terrace and committed the crime. When the girl screamed, he attempted to silence her by strangling her but fled in fear of being caught when neighbours started gathering,” police said.
Examination of both the victim and the accused will be conducted as part of the investigation. “We are interrogating the accused to determine if he has committed similar crimes in the past,” said ACP Desai.