64-year-old arrested for raping 3-year-old girl

A 64-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting his three-year-old neighbour for a week from southeast Delhi’s Amar Colony area, the police said on Thursday.

The girl’s family and the accused were tenants in the same building, the police said.

The accused used to play with the girl, who considered him “like her grandfather”. So, the parents did not suspect anything when the accused took the girl to his house under the pretext of giving her sweets, the police added.

On Wednesday, the girl complained to her mother about pain in her private parts and her ordeal for a week. Her mother informed her husband who then called the police. A medical examination of the girl confirmed sexual assault and a case under Section 376, IPC (punishment for rape) and relevant sections of the POCSO Act was registered, said a senior police officer.

The accused was arrested on Wednesday night from his residence. The girl and her parents have started undergoing counselling sessions, the police said.

The accused was living away from his family and was not employed anywhere.