A 25-year-old man accused of sexually assaulting a four-year-old girl died Saturday morning after he was lynched by a mob on Thursday night. According to police, the man was “allegedly caught red-handed while sexually assaulting the minor girl” in east Delhi’s Pandav Nagar.
DCP (east district) Omvir Singh said the incident came to light on Thursday night when the man was caught by people at Sanjay Lake area. Police said that the accused, a carpenter, was a resident of Shashi Garden and lived near the girl’s home.
“Initial investigation revealed that on Thursday night, the man was eating snacks at a roadside stall when he saw the girl. He took her along with him, promising her chocolates in return. He took her near Sanjay Lake, where he allegedly sexually assaulted her,” a senior police officer said. The girl’s parents, meanwhile, started looking for her and were told by locals that a man had taken their daughter to Sanjay Lake.
“Her parents and some others reached the lake area and found the man allegedly sexually assaulting the girl. They caught hold of him and started beating him,” the officer said.
DCP Singh said, “He was allegedly beaten up by the mob and police were informed later. They immediately rushed to the spot. The man was taken to a hospital and admitted to the ICU. A case under several sections of the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act was registered against him. He succumbed to his injuries on Saturday morning. A case under IPC Section 304-A (causing death by negligence, not amounting to culpable homicide) has been registered against unknown persons.”
“Preliminary medical reports suggested that someone hit him hard on the head, which led to his death. After the post-mortem, police handed over the body to the family,” DCP Singh said. The man’s family, however, denied the allegations against him. His brother said that the man was meeting a friend near the lake, and that the mob had tried to snatch his phone, which led to the violence.