Residents foil bid to molest girl, suspect held

A group of residents at Maya Bazar in Vivekanagar caught a 57-year-old man while he was attempting to molest an 11-year-old girl on Sunday night, thrashed him and handed him over to the police. The suspect, Suresh, a resident of Maya Bazar, works at a shamiyana store.

He had married a woman after his first wife died. However, the second wife deserted him and returned to her hometown Dharwad. He married for the third time, but his third wife too recently parted ways with him, said the police.

He was moving with the victim around 9.30 pm. A few local people asked him the reason for moving with the girl. He claimed that he was accompanying her to drop her at her house. Some of them grew suspicious about his claims and followed him.

He took the victim to a desolate area, removed her clothes and attempted to hug her. However, the residents caught him and thrashed. He sustained injuries in the attack and was shifted to Nimhans. Based on the statement of the victim, the police booked him under Pocso Act.