Neighbour lures 7-year-old girl to boat at Raigad beach, rapes her

NAVI MUMBAI: A seven-year-old girl was raped by 22-year old man from her neighbourhood in Korlai village of Murud taluka in Raigad on Friday, police said. The accused, Aaryan Kotkar, was arrested on Sunday after being on the run for two days.

The girl, along with her younger brother and sister, had gone to the beach in the afternoon. She was on her way to answer the nature’s call when Kotkar allegedly lured her to a fishing boat and raped her, police said.

He threatened her with dire consequences if she spoke about the assault, they added. The girl, who sustained multiple injuries, informed her mother, and her father filed a complaint.

Revdanda police lodged a case under relevant sections of BNS and Pocso Act and formed five teams to nab him. They caught Kotkar on Sunday.

Murud police inspector Namdeo Bandgar said, “The accused is a resident of the same village and stays about 200 metre away from the survivor’s house. He will be produced in court on Monday. He had been arrested previously in a physical assault case.”

Residents have raised safety concerns as many tourists frequent the beach.

(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme court directives on cases related to sexual assault)