19-year-old arrested for stalking, molesting schoolgirl

THANE: A 19-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday by the Ramnagar police in Dombivli for allegedly molesting a schoolgirl on the railway skywalk in the eastern part of the city.
According to the police, the accused, Rahul Yadav, is an unemployed youth residing in Dombivli West, while the victim, a 14-year-old girl, lives in Diva. She studies in a school in Dombivli and travels from her home to the school by local train.
On Tuesday, when the girl and her friend were headed for Dombivli railway station after school via the skywalk, Yadav intercepted her, blocked her path, and engaged in inappropriate behaviour. The two girls then alerted people on the skywalk, who nabbed the accused and handed him over to the police after their arrival.
The police promptly registered a case against him under sections 7 and 8 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 and section 351(2) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita and arrested him.
“Yadav had been following the girl for the past few days and had tried to engage with her several times, though she avoided him. He had also behaved inappropriately with her about a fortnight ago,” said an officer from the Ramnagar police station.
The police are investigating Yadav’s background, recovering CCTV footage from the railway station and recording the statement of the victim, the officer added.