Man rapes 8-year-old in public toilet in Thane, gets thrashed by girl’s uncle

A 45-year-old man has been arrested on charges of raping an eight-year-old girl in a public toilet in Thane.

The accused, identified as Ramesh Vijay Singh, has been arrested by the Kapurbawdi police; the child has been admitted to hospital.

Singh, a resident of Manorama Nagar, hails from Uttar Pradesh, and works as a labourer. Police sources said he was a regular customer at a small hotel owned by the child’s father and a known face.

The incident took place around 4pm on Sunday, when the accused followed the girl into the toilet behind her father’s hotel. The child’s uncle, who had noticed Singh following the girl, went to check on the child and caught the accused in the act.

“Singh tried to run away and was beaten up badly by the girl’s uncle and other people who were present,” said VG Darekar, senior police inspector, Kapurbawdi police station. “Later, the child told her family that he had raped her the Sunday before too, but she had been too scared to say anything to her parents.”

“The girl has been shifted to Thane Civil Hospital. She is safe and undergoing treatment,” Darekar said.

Singh was produced in court and has been remanded in police custody till May 11.

A case has been registered under section 376 of the Indian Panel Code as well as under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.