Hindustan Times Metro dt.12th Sept

12 year old arrested for molesting toddler in Dombivli

Kiran Sonawane

A 12 year old boy was arrested and released on a personal bond after the family of a 3 year old girl lodged a complaint of molestation against him. The incident took place in Nandivli village in Dombivli.

The girl, who had been sent to buy some groceries, had taken unusually long to return. When she did return, she had the items asked for as well as the money she had been given. The child's grandmother casually asked about the reason for her delay and was livid at what the little girl narrated. Datta Pandhare, police inspector of Manpada police station, Dombivili, said the girl told her grandmother that "Dada" (the 12 year old boy) who was alone at the shop, asked her to step inside the shop, took off her undergarments and fondled her private parts. He later gave her the ingredients, returned the money to her and offered her sweets, the girl told her family.

When her family confronted the boy, they had an altercation with his family, after which the girl's grandmother lodged a police complaint against the boy.

The police summoned the boy and released him on a personal bond of Rs.5000, said Pandhare.

Psychologist Adwait Padhya attributed such cases to the increasing exposure to sexual content on television and in other media.

"Twelve is the threshold of adolescence. At this age, curiosity about sex is at its peak. Children indulge in such acts due to exposure to sexual content," he said