A 14-year-old boy is accused of sexually abusing a seven-year-old girl at Amarjyothi Layout in Ashwath Nagar, North Bengaluru, on December 28.
The Sampigehalli police detained the boy, who also bit the girl, and lodged him at the state-run remand home for boys, while his father claims the boy is mentally ill and has been taking treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) at NIMHANS since 2011.
The incident occurred around 10.30 am on the terrace of a neighbour. The boy had taken the girl on the pretext of showing her a chick.
An eyewitness told DH the boy had stripped the girl and was removing his trousers when another neighbour spotted them.
Residents in the area converged on the terrace and caught the boy after the neighbour raised an alarm. One of them alerted the police, who took a statement from the girl's mother. They registered a complaint of sexual harassment under Section 12 of the Pocso Act and detained the boy.
Police also produced the boy before the Juvenile Justice Board and sent him to the remand home the same day.
The boy's father produced certificates and drug prescriptions from Nimhans before the police to claim that he would not have done anything knowingly. The reports revealed that the boy has been taking treatment for the ADHD and mental retardation since 2011 when he was eight years old.
A senior police official said: "We have to get the doctor's opinion on the boy and the medical documents submitted by his father before deciding on the further course of action."