Neighbour arrested for kidnapping, sexually assaulting minor

Lucknow: Naka police on Tuesday arrested 25-year-old Mohammed Amir, accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting his 13-year-old neighbour, from the Aishbagh area. Amir reportedly lured the girl and took her to Varanasi and allegedly raped her in a hotel. He then took her to Surat before returning to Lucknow after running out of money, where he was eventually caught by the police. Additional DCP (Central Zone) Manisha Singh said that the accused fled to Surat with the girl after committing the crime. The police apprehended him using phone surveillance and information from an informer. "The victim was medically examined and handed over to her parents, while the accused was sent to jail," said the ADCP. Naka inspector Virendra Tripathi said that Amir kidnapped the girl, a class 9 student, on Nov 18. The victim's family alleged that Amir had been following her to and from school. They claimed he concealed his religion and caste to gain her trust and then committed the crime. During interrogation, Amir confessed to first taking the girl from Lucknow to Varanasi, where they stayed in a hotel and raped her. He also threatened her when she protested and then took her to Surat. A police team was dispatched to Surat after tracking Amir's location through phone surveillance. However, after running out of money, Amir returned to Lucknow with the girl on Nov 24. Fearing arrest, he got off the train before reaching Charbagh station. The police intensified their search and, on Nov 26, arrested Amir near Aishbagh railway station as he attempted to flee.