Man arrested for sexual assault of 4-year-old on ship

Kochi: Coastal police arrested a Lakshadweep native for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor boy in the washroom of a ship when it was heading towards Kochi from Kavaratti.The arrested person has been identified as Sameer Khan (20) of Kadamath island. According to police, the boy was on the ship with his mother. The accused allegedly took the child to the washroom of the ship by luring him with the promise of showing him fishes. The child was four-and-a-half years old. The ship had left Kavaratti on Wednesday and arrived at Kochi on Thursday. The alleged incident happened when the mother was sleeping. The accused was allegedly coming to Kochi to visit the city. Police are investigating the antecedents of the accusedThe accused was booked under sections 7 (sexual assault), 8 (punishment for sexual assault), and 10 (punishment for aggravated sexual assault) read with 9 (m) (whoever commits sexual assault on a child below twelve years) of the Pocso Act. The case was registered by Fort Kochi coastal police which has jurisdiction. The accused was presented in court and remanded in judicial custody.