Man held seven months after molesting 9-year-old girl in Thane

Thane: Police have arrested a 55-year-old man for allegedly molesting a minor girl residing in his neighbourhood in Maharashtra's Thane district seven months back, an official said on Sunday.

The alleged incident took place on June 11 last year in Bhiwandi town, but neither the complaint filed by the girl's mother nor the FIR mentioned the reason for the delay in reporting the matter to police.

The nine-year-old girl was playing on a ground near her house when the accused, who worked at a powerloom in the town, lured her under the pretext of giving her money to buy a chocolate.

He then took her to his house and allegedly touched her inappropriately, the official from Bhoiwada police station said.

Following a complaint by the girl's mother on Friday night, the police arrested the man on Saturday and booked him under relevant provisions, including the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, he said.