A 62-year-old daily wage worker was arrested in the early hours of Wednesday on charges of attempting to rape his granddaughter, a third-grade student, around 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday in his hutment. The Parvati police produced him before a city court on Wednesday afternoon, and he was remanded in police custody until May 8.
Complaint and Injuries
The girl's mother, aged 30, lodged a complaint with the police in the small hours of Wednesday. Police reported that the girl sustained injuries to her head and face during the assault.
Rescue and Mob Protest
Pune Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar stated, 'We have recorded the witness statement of a woman. She rescued the girl from the grandfather's clutches.' The witness allegedly heard the girl's cries while passing by the hutment on Tuesday night and raised an alarm. Neighbors entered the hutment and found the girl and her grandfather without clothes, according to police.
The girl was playing in front of her house when her maternal grandfather took her to his hutment, located a few meters away. He then allegedly attempted to rape her. The witness and other residents rescued the girl and called the police. CP Kumar added, 'Within a few minutes, a mob of over 2,500 people gathered and demanded stern action against the girl's grandfather.'
Police Response
Joint Police Commissioner Ranjan Kumar Sharma said, 'We summoned additional manpower from different police stations to control the mob. Our teams covered the hutment in such a way that no harm was done to the girl's grandfather.' Some people went to Swargate Chowk, blocked traffic, and protested in front of the Swargate police station. They dispersed after discussions with authorities.
Community Reaction
Times of India visited the spot on Wednesday. Women in the area remarked that the girl's grandfather had behaved properly before. 'We don't know what he did in his hutment. The incident has shocked all of us,' one of them said.
Family Background
CP Kumar noted, 'The girl's father is an autorickshaw driver, and her mother is a daily wage worker. Her elder brother, aged 13, was not at home when the incident occurred. He often does not return home for three to four days at a stretch.'
