Pune: Chikhali police have arrested five persons, including the biological father, on charges of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl. The girl herself approached the police station while going home from her school on July 5 (Friday). The incident took place between April 8 to June 29, 2024.

The suspects have been identified as Samadhan Lavate (40), Pratap Pramod Dhaytade, Nitin Harale (32), all three residing at Chikhali; Sagar Harale (20), residing at Mohannagar in Akurdi; and the girls father (name withheld).

All five suspects have been arrested under relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and remanded to police custody by the local court.

According to police, the victim girl was watching videos on YouTube when Samadhan Lavate approached her. Samadhan lured the girl saying that he would do sexual act as shown in the video.

Samadhan then took the girl to his house and sexually abused her. When the girl informed about this to her father, he asked her to not discuss this matter with anyone. Later, when the girl was unwell, the father sexually assualted her. The girl tried to oppose the advances by her father but he threatened her with dire consequences.

Meanwhile, the girl went to her teachers home for tuition when husband of the teacher also sexually abused her. On May 19, the girl's mother's friend's husband and brother-in-law also sexually assaulted her. On June 29, the father of the girl sexually abused her.

The girl had gone to school on July 5. Unable to tolerate the sexual abuse further, she decided to approach police and went straight to Chikhali police station. She narrated the incidents to police and filed a complaint against the suspects.