Kolkata: A man in his forties has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a three-and-a-half-year-old girl in Dattapukur, in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district, police said on Saturday.
The accused, identified as Arjun Sardar, had reportedly visited a relative’s house in the area when he allegedly took the child to the roof of a neighbouring house and assaulted her. The incident is said to have taken place on Thursday and came to light on Friday, triggering tension in the locality.
According to police, the girl’s family has been living in a rented house in Subhashnagar, under the Nilganj outpost of Dattapukur police station, for the past three months.
Local residents alleged that they initially approached the Nilganj police outpost to lodge a complaint but the police refused to register it. A case was later registered against the accused under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, and an investigation was launched.
Police arrested Sardar on Friday night. They said he confessed to the crime during interrogation. He was produced before the Barasat court on Saturday, where police sought his custody for further investigation.
Medical Examination Delayed, Family Alleges
The child was taken to Barasat Medical College and Hospital for a medical examination. However, her family and local residents alleged that they had to wait for several hours because only one female doctor was available at the time and she was occupied.
The alleged delay led to protests at the hospital. The situation was later brought under control.
The girl’s family has demanded strict punishment for the accused.