india

Updated: Aug 10, 2019 22:09 IST

A man was arrested for allegedly attempting to rape a minor girl after his daughter caught him and alerted the officials in Birsa Basti under Sonari police station (PS) in Jamshedpur, police said on Saturday.

The 15-year-old daughter of the accused rescued the four-year-old girl by dragging her out of the room and locking her own father inside before informing the local Anganwadi sevika.

“We have arrested Suresh Bodra and sent him to jail under section 376 and 4/6 of the Pocso Act. An FIR has been lodged on the basis of a complaint by survivor’s maternal aunt and East Singhbhum child welfare committee (CWC). The survivor’s medical tests have also been done,” said Naresh Sinha, Sonari PS officer-in-charge (OC).

After the accused’s daughter informed local Anganwadi sevika about the incident, they then informed the Adarsh Seva Sansthan childline in Sonari and the case was taken up by Sonari PS.

“After rescuing the minor girl from the room, she then locked the room from outside and informed the local Anganwadi sevika who informed the Adarsh Seva Sansthan childline in Sonari. Childline informed us and we took up the case with Soanri PS after which Bodra was arrested. Survivor’s statement under section 164 of CrPc will be recorded on Tuesday as the court is closed till Monday,” said Alok Bhaskar, CWC member.

On hearing the shouts of the accused’s daughter, neighbours gathered at his house and started beating Bodra and subsequently they took him to the childline. The survivor is originally a resident of Chaibasa in Jharkhand and had come to her maternal grandmother’s house. She was allegedly lured by Bodra with chocolates. The accused has a son and a daughter.

Police said the accused is an alcoholic and was in an inebriated state at the time of the incident. “His wife and daughter too were scared and fed-up with him for such heinous activities. Locals complained that he has done such acts with neighbouring women earlier too,” said a police official.

Angry locals were adamant to deal with Bodra on their own but police somehow managed to rescue him from the clutches of the mob.

“We have decided to socially boycott Bodra in a meeting of the senior residents of the basti. We will also extend all possible help to the survivor and her family,” Dilip Dhibar, a resident of Birsa Basti said.