Ahmedabad: A five-year-old girl’s distressing account to her mother and aunt led to the arrest of a 73-year-old neighbour in Meghaninagar on Saturday for alleged sexual abuse.Police said the septuagenarian allegedly called the child to his house on Friday evening on the pretext of playing. She later returned home frightened, complained of discomfort, and told her mother and aunt what had happened. Alarmed, the family called the 112 emergency helpline.“Women officers counselled the girl, and got her to narrate her account. The 73-year-old man had sexually assaulted the child by inserting his fingers in her private parts. We detained the accused and arrested him based on the child’s statement and the family’s complaint on Saturday,” said Rina Rathva, assistant commissioner of police, F Division.Investigators are recording statements of family members and possible witnesses to establish the sequence of events and collect evidence. Police said they are also checking whether the accused was involved in similar incidents with other children in the neighbourhood.Police said the accused has two daughters and a son, and earned his livelihood as a wholesale dealer of tomatoes.Meghaninagar police registered a case under provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
