Pune: A 13-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a businessman in Alephata of Maharashtra's Pune district after he called her for an audition on the pretext of giving her an opportunity in the films, police said. An FIR has been registered against the accused at Alephata Police Station based on the complaint lodged by the victim's parents on December 24.
The accused, Rajendra Dagdu Gaikwad, is a resident of Chakan in the Pune district. According to the police, the accused knows the father of the girl. A few months ago, the girl's parents, accompanied by the girl, had gone to meet him to talk about business. While speaking to the businessman, the girl told him about her interest in the film industry to which he claimed that he could help her achieve her goals. He asked her to come for auditions.
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"The accused called the girl for an audition at a hotel in Pune on June 13, 2022. She was accompanied by her parents to the audition. Again on November 8, 2022, the accused had gone to the victim's house on the pretext of taking one more audition. He asked her parents to remain outside the house saying that she would do better in their absence. The accused took advantage of the situation and then raped her," police said.
The parents approached the police station and a case has been registered in this regard under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 376 about rape and relevant provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. "The accused is absconding. A man-hunt has been launched for the businessman," said police.
