NASHIK: Traffic was paralysed for nearly eight hours at Vilholi near Nashik on the Mumbai Agra highway on Sunday after protesters from the Maratha community targeted government vehicles and those bearing stickers of Dalit parties as news spread about a 15-year-old boy allegedly having raped a five-year-old girl at Trimbakeshwar on Saturday evening.
As many as nine state transport (ST) buses and three vehicles, including a police van, were set ablaze at Vilholi on the highway around 10.30am. A little earlier, three police cars and a motorcycle were set ablaze and 20 policemen were injured at Talegaon phata when Nashik guardian minister Girish Mahajan visited the girl’s house. Villagers alleged that violence broke out after Mahajan’s statement that the incident was not a rape, but an attempted rape. Several roads were also blocked across the city.
Around 10pm on Saturday, the Trimbakeshwar police had registered a case of rape based on the complaint given by the girl’s mother. “The case has been registered under section 376 of the IPC and also section 12 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. Samples have been sent to the medical and forensic labs,” inspector Mukund Deshmukh said.
CM Devendra Fadnavis said the police have arrested the accused and assured that strict action would be taken against him. “The case will be tried in a fast track court. People are trying to spreading rumours after the incident, which are false. People should maintain law and order and not believe in the rumours being spread,” he said. He also said that the girl’s health was being monitored and that the government would extend all necessary help to the family.
Police said the girl’s parents, who are labourers, were away at their relatives’ house to work on the farms when the incident took place. The boy’s parents are also labourers.
(Sourced from agencies, feature image courtesy:indianexpress.com)
