Rajkot: A 55-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday for attempting to rape a three-year-old girl in Shapar-Veraval industrial area of Rajkot on Tuesday.
Police said the accused identified as Rajendra Mandal, a native of Balvachak village of Bhagalpur district in Bihar who works as a labourer in a factory at Shapar-Veraval industrial area, tried to rape the girl, who happens to be his relative.
“Mandal lured the girl to his one-room house with the promise of playing with her. When the girl’s mother could not find her, she started looking for her and went to Mandal’s room. There she found her daughter naked and Mandal trying to rape her. Following this, she raised a cry and other labourers in the area
nabbed Mandal and handed him over to police,” said Shapar-Veraval police sub-inspector R G Sindhu.
During interrogation, Mandal said that he was earlier arrested and jailed in a similar offence at his village where he had raped a four-year-old girl. He was acquitted for want of evidence. After this, he came to Rajkot to work as a labourer. Mandal is married with four children.
The minor’s father also works as a labourer at a factory in Shapar-Veraval industrial area.