Auto driver held for raping minor in Lucknow

A class 8 girl was raped by an auto driver in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow. The auto driver had threatened the victim with dire consequences if she reported the crime. The accused was arrested on Tuesday.

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh): An auto driver has been arrested for allegedly raping a minor girl in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow on Tuesday. The incident took place in the PGI police station area limits. According to police officials, the victim's mother lodged a complaint on Monday after which the police launched a manhunt to nab the accused. The accused was booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) and has been arrested.

According to police sources, the incident came to light when the mother of the victim, a class 8 student, grew suspicious after her daughter's changed behaviour. Upon asking, the victim narrated her ordeal, following which, her mother lodged a complaint with the police. During the investigation, it surfaced that the accused was hired three months ago to pick and drop the minor as her mother was raising the girl single-handedly after her husband went to another city for work. The victim's mother said that she started trusting the driver in view of his caring nature towards her daughter.

According to police officials, the victim alleged that on September 30, the accused driver offered her a cold drink laced with an intoxicant after which she became unconscious. The driver then took her to a deserted place near Chiraiyabagh and molested her. When she regained consciousness, the driver threatened her with dire consequences if she told about the crime to anyone. He then dropped her back home.

Inspector Brijesh Chandra Tiwari said, "The accused driver was arrested after the victim's mother lodged a complaint. The medical check up of the minor girl will be done and her statement will be recorded soon."