COIMBATORE: A 57-year-old private security guard was arrested for sexually assaulting a four-year-old girl at an apartment near Singanallur, where he was posted on duty.
The east all-woman police identified the accused as P Ravichandran, of Kanjikonampalayam.
An investigation officer said Ravichandran was a wall painter for more than 20 years. “He joined as a private security guard with a private firm one and half months ago as he was aged.”
Four days ago, he was posted at the apartment near Singanallur in the city. “On Monday afternoon, when the girl, an LKG student, was playing near his room on the ground floor of the apartment, he took her to the car parking area and sexually assaulted her,” the officer said.
Meanwhile, the girl’s father came searching for her and found her with the security guard. The residents beat him up severely and alerted the east all-woman police inspector, Amutha, who took Ravichandran to the police station.
The girl’s parents lodged a complaint with police, who registered a case against Ravichandran under Sections 5 (l)(m)(n) and 6 (punishment for penetrative sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act and Section 376 (A) (B) of the Indian Penal Code and arrested him.
He was produced before the special court for Pocso cases the same evening and lodged in the Gobichettipalayam sub-jail in Erode district.