Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru

Beltangady, Aug 28: Dharmasthala police have arrested a 21-year-old man in connection with a case involving the alleged rape of a minor girl, who subsequently became pregnant.

The accused has been identified as Srikanth (21). It is alleged that Srikanth forcibly raped the 16-year-old girl, who is from the Dharmasthala police station limits, between September and November last year and threatened her not to disclose the matter to anyone. The girl reportedly remained silent without informing anyone.

Later, the girl became pregnant and gave birth to a baby girl on August 22.

A POCSO case was registered at Dharmasthala police station in connection with the incident. Soon after the case was registered, the accused allegedly attempted to flee. He was arrested by police in Doddaballapur, Bengaluru, while he was trying to travel from Doddaballapur to his native place, Hindupur in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh.

The accused, a native of Andhra Pradesh who was working in Bengaluru, had allegedly become acquainted with the girl from Dharmasthala, developed a relationship with her and raped her.

The arrested accused was produced before the POCSO court in Mangaluru, which remanded him to judicial custody.