Rajkot: A 50-year-old man was arrested on Saturday for allegedly sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl at his puncture repair shop in the Sahajanand Industries area, police said on Sunday. The accused, identified as Shantilal Kapadiya, allegedly lured the child with the promise of wafers and chocolates before taking her into his shop and assaulting her.The incident came to light after a youth, who works at the same shop, grew suspicious on Saturday when he noticed the girl inside the shop with his employer for an unusually long time while he himself was working outside. When the girl emerged, he asked her what had happened. The child broke down and told him that the man had made her do something obscene. The youth immediately dialled 112 and alerted the police, who took both him and the girl to the police station for questioning. During the course of the inquiry, the girl was able to identify the factory where her mother works.The girl’s 40-year-old mother, who was at work at the time of the incident, was subsequently informed. She later filed a complaint at Aji Dam police station. Based on her complaint, police arrested Kapadiya and charged him under BNS and Sections 8 and 12 of the POCSO Act, among other provisions.Speaking to TOI, Aji Dam police inspector Haresh Patel confirmed that the accused was taken into custody immediately after the complaint was lodged.Preliminary investigation revealed that Kapadiya lives alone at his puncture shop. Police sources said the victim’s father died around three months ago, and her mother has since been solely responsible for raising the couple’s four children, of whom the victim is the third-born.
