22-year-old held for raping four-year-old girl in Uran

Uran police arrested a 22-year-old from Karjat on Wednesday for raping a four-year-old girl in Baudh Wada on Tuesday evening.

The police said the accused, Rohan Raju Kasare (22), was a Class VII dropout and had been involved in a case of theft. The police said the minor girl stayed in Mr. Kasare’s locality and he abducted her from her house when her parents were away. Assistant Police Inspector Shivaji Kate said, “A woman saw the accused take the girl to his house and she grew suspicious on seeing him continuously peeping out of the window. The woman informed a relative of the girl about the incident.”

Mr. Kate said that the relative immediately went to the accused’s house in search of the victim. However, the accused hid the victim under a sofa and the relative could not find her. When the eyewitness insisted that the girl was in the house, the relative went back again. Mr. Kate said, “After banging the door, the accused finally opened the door. When the relative found the girl under the sofa, the accused fled from the spot. The parents of the victim later filed a complaint with the police.”

The police said the girl sustained fractures to her skull and neck and was admitted to JJ Hospital. Mr. Kate said, “We are awaiting an injury certificate from the hospital to ascertain the kind of injuries she suffered and add relevant sections in the charge sheet.”

The police found a used condom and a condom packet from the spot and sent it for forensic examination. Prima facie there was no semen or blood on the condom. The police also recovered the undergarments and footwear of the victim from the accused’s house.

The police said that the accused’s mother informed them that her son took refuge in her brother’s house in Karjat. She said that Mr. Kasare had dinner at the house and slept in a nearby temple. An officer said, “The mother was fed up of Mr. Kasare’s behaviour and helped us nab him. He was produced before the Alibaug court and remanded in police custody till May 29.”

The accused was arrested under Section 376 (rape) of the IPC and relevant sections of the POCSO Act.