65-year-old man booked for sexually abusing 5-year-old boy

Surat: The Singanpor police in Surat have booked a 65-year-old man for allegedly sexually abusing a five-year-old boy inside the basement of a posh residential society in the Dabholi area. The accused allegedly lured the child away while he was playing with other children, though the victim managed to escape before further harm could be done.

According to police sources, the incident occurred on May 15 when the victim, who was visiting his uncle’s house for the summer vacation, was playing in the society premises. The accused reportedly pulled the five-year-old into the building’s basement. Once isolated, the accused sexually abused him. The minor managed to break free and flee the spot shortly after.

The matter came to light when the boy’s father arrived to take him back home. The child narrated his ordeal to his father, prompting the family to approach the authorities. Driven by the seriousness of the crime and the need to protect other children in the neighborhood, the parents filed an official complaint.

“The accused senior citizen is married, lives with his family, and has grandchildren of his own,” a police officer privy to the investigation stated. “We are currently investigating the circumstances that led to the incident and are also probing whether he has targeted or molested any other children in the past.”

Following the complaint, the Singanpor police registered a case against the man. He has been booked under Section 140(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for kidnapping or abducting a person to subject them to unnatural lust, alongside Sections 10 and 12 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act.

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