Pune: Bharati Vidyapeeth police have initiated a case against a security guard for allegedly committing an obscene act with a schoolboy within the confines of a housing society compound.

The incident came to light after the boy's mother lodged a formal complaint at the Bharati Vidyapeeth police station. The security guard, named Nagaraj, is now facing charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act.

According to the details provided in the complaint, the nine-year-old boy was playing in the society's compound when Nagaraj reportedly touched him inappropriately.

The boy was understandably frightened by the incident and promptly conveyed the details to his mother, who took immediate action by reporting the matter to the authorities. Consequently, a case was registered against the security guard, and Assistant Police Inspector Patil has taken charge of the investigation.

This alarming incident follows a string of similar cases reported in the region. Notably, just two weeks ago, another schoolboy was allegedly assaulted in the Cantonment area.

Furthermore, there was a troubling incident in the Kondhwa area, where minors were reported to have assaulted a schoolboy within a housing society.

The city has been grappling with a concerning rise in incidents of sexual assault against minors. Over the past ten months, more than 300 cases of such offenses have been recorded.

On average, at least one to two cases are reported daily across various police stations in the city and its suburbs.

In response to this alarming trend, local schools are actively providing counseling on appropriate and inappropriate touching, which has resulted in an increase in reported cases of sexual offenses against minors, as children are being encouraged to speak out about such incidents.