Daijiworld Media Network – Beltangady

Beltangady, Aug 21: The Venur police have arrested an auto driver and remanded him into judicial custody for allegedly harassing and sexually assaulting a 14-year-old schoolgirl after threatening her into silence for months.

The accused, identified as Jamaluddin, a resident of Venur, had been transporting the minor to school in his auto over the past few months. Police stated that Jamaluddin routinely behaved inappropriately towards her during these daily commutes. When the victim attempted to resist his advances, the accused threatened her with dire consequences, terrifying the girl into keeping quiet.

The ordeal culminated on the evening of August 13 when Jamaluddin allegedly barged into the victim's house while she was home alone, intimidated her, and subjected her to a horrific sexual assault.

The minor lodged a formal complaint at the Venur police station on August 15.

Acting immediately, officers registered a case under Crime No. 56/2026 and booked the accused under Sections 75(2) (sexual harassment), 64(1) (rape), 65(1) (rape on a minor under 16), and 351(3) (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, alongside Sections 4(2), 8, and 12 of the POCSO Act, 2012.

Police apprehended Jamaluddin on August 15, and produced him before the court, which subsequently remanded him to judicial custody.