Punjab: 50-year-old shopkeeper rapes seven-year-old girl, absconding

In yet another incident of a horrifying sexual abuse case, a 50-year-old shopkeeper in the district of Ferozepur in Punjab allegedly raped a seven-year-old girl, according to PTI on Sunday.

The accused identified as Rajesh Dhawan alias Bittu lured the girl into his shop by offering her toffees and then raped her. The incident came to the fore after a video of it was circulated locally after being shot by unidentified people, said the police. Dhawan threatened the girl of dire consequences if she spoke about the incident and the act was only revealed after the girl’s uncle identified her in the video clip and lodged a complaint.

The Punjab police then raided the shop, said DSP (Guruharsahai) Jasvir Singh. But the accused couldn’t be nabbed as he had escaped even before the police showed up.

Singh added that a case under the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) act has been registered against Dhawan and also others, who circulated the video. All of them are yet to be arrested by the police.

“We have got the medical examination of the girl done,” said Singh, as quoted by Mid-day. He also added that the doctors would prepare the medical reports by Monday.

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