Hyderabad: A 50 year-old-man working as a construction labourer was arrested by Medchal police on charges of sexually harassing a 12-year-old deaf and mute minor girl who was also mentally unsound. The suspect identified as Mohd Khaja Vali entered the hut where the victim resided and took her to the bath area behind the hut and sexually harassed her.
Neighbours who noti-ced abnormal sounds coming from the bath area, rushed to the spot, caught the suspect and alerted the police. According to the police, the victim’s parents worked as construction labourers at a site in Medchal. The suspect hailing from Nellore district in AP worked with them. The victim’s family resided in a temporary hut set up around 300 yards away from the work site.
Behind their hut was a bath area for the family, which was covered by mat sheets. On Wednesday, after the parents left for work, the girl was alone at home.
The accused residing in a neighbouring slum was walking towards the site when he noticed the girl and approached her.
Medchal Inspector S Venkat Reddy said as she was mute and deaf and mentally unsound, he made some signs to her and later took her to the bath area behind the hut.
“The neighbours heard abnormal noises from the bath area and came to check and were shocked to find that he was sexually harassing the girl”, said the inspector.
They caught him and beat him up before handing him over to the police. Later her mother lodged a complaint against the suspect and a case of sexual harassment under Sections 7 and 8 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (Pocso) was registered. He was arrested and sent to remand.
