Hyderabad: A 19-year-old was arrested for sexually assaulting a minor girl late on Wednesday night in Mangalhat, even as her parents were seeking counselling for domestic abuse at Habeebnagar police station.
The accused, Hathagade Sumeeth alias Bunty Afzalsagar, Mallepally, who works in a music band, was returning from a Ganesha idol immersion procession and found the victim, aged 9, looking for her parents after not finding them at home, police said.
“Her parents returned home from idol immersion at Tank Bund, and picked up a quarrel during which her father thrashed her mother. She approached the Habeebnagar police to lodge a complaint, and they summoned the husband for counselling,” police said.
“The couple had left the victim along with her siblings at home.” The couple was counselled, and returned home only to find their daughter missing.
It was revealed during investigation that around 1.15 am, upon waking up and not finding her parents home, the victim went out and started looking for them. The accused saw her and took her to an open place of a house near Mallepally crossroads which had the entrance covered with blue colour polythene cover.
“He sexually assaulted the girl and escaped from the spot. Her parents found her and came to know about the assault and approached the police, following which teams were formed and he was arrested after tracing him through CCTV camera footage,” added the police.
The accused is stated to be a drug addict and frequently consumes alcohol. He was arrested for stealing an autorickshaw by the Habeebnagar police in February.
Officials booked him under the IPC and the POCSO Act and medical aid was provided to the victim girl along with counselling at a Bharosa Centre.
