Alerted by the onlookers, the local police took matters into their hands and calmed down the situation. (Representational image)

Mumbai: A 25-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly molesting a 13-year-old girl by entering her house in Ghatkopar forcibly and threatening her to keep mum about the incident. The molestation took place on Sunday, but was reported on Thursday, when the girl confided about the incident to her parents.

The accused has been booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) read with sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The accused, identified as Gangaram Akhade, allegedly entered the teenage victim’s house by force while she was sleeping and molested her by touching her without her permission, the police said.

When the victim threatened to complain to her parents, Akhade threatened her and asked her to not reveal the incident to anybody. Being traumatised and scared, she kept quite for three days, but finally opened up about the incident to her parents, who immediately went to Akhade’s work place in Tilak Nagar and beat him up.

Alerted by the onlookers, the local police took matters into their hands and calmed down the situation. The family then registered a complaint in Pant Nagar police station against the accused.

Akhade who had sustained minor injuries was rushed to the civic-run Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar. The police is keeping a close eye on him while he is being treated, and he will be remanded in police custody till Monday.

Mumbai police spokes-person deputy commissioner of police (operations) Rashmi Karan-dikar said, “The accused has been arrested and booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code read along with sections 8 and 12 of the POCSO Act.”