Out on parole, POCSO convict arrested for raping 5-year-old in Uttarakhand

PITHORAGARH: A 35-year-old man who was released on parole last month after being convicted in a POCSO case has been arrested for allegedly raping a five-year-old girl in Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh, police said on Saturday.The accused, identified as Hosiyar Singh, works as a driver and lives in the town, according to news agency PTI. He was sentenced in 2024 to seven years in prison for sexually assaulting a minor boy in a 2022 case registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.According to police, the girl went missing from her home, prompting her family to file a missing person complaint. Following the complaint, four police teams were formed to trace the accused and locate the child.Pithoragarh Superintendent of Police Akshaya Prahlad Kondey said the girl was rescued around midnight on June 24.She was found in a panicked state near the local roadways station."The culprit was arrested on Thursday under sections 65(2), 115(2), 137(2), and 351(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and sections 5 and 6 of the POCSO Act," SP Kondey said.Laxman Singh Khati, chairperson of the District Child Welfare Committee, said the girl was admitted to the district female hospital for treatment and is currently under the care of the committee.Police said the accused was arrested within eight hours of the crime being reported.(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme court directives on cases related to sexual assault)Stay updated with the latest Dehradun news. Download the TOI App.