Boy sexually assaulted at Secunderabad railway station

Tarnaka: In an incident that puts whole society to shame, a 12-year-old boy, who deserted home, was sodomised by a 40-year-old man at Secunderabad railway station book stall on December 27 night in an inebriated condition, according to delayed reports reaching here on Monday. 

The Government Railway Police apprehended the accused, Mahendra Sarma (40) of UP who is working as a book-seller in the bookstall, on December 30 and filed case against them under the IPC Section 377 and Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act 2012. The accused was presented before the magistrate who remanded him to 14 days’ custody. 

The boy ran away from home as he was reprimanded by his father, lorry driver Bechan Ram of Peerzadiguda in Medchal district, as the boy became irregular to school. The boy left home on December 27 for school and did not return home since then. His father lodged a missing boy complaint with the Medipalli police. 

According to the police, Mahendra Sarma lured the boy with money and took him out of the railway station. 

He consumed liquor in a wine shop opposite to the railway station. He bought food for the boy around 10 pm and the duo returned to the book stall on platform number 4 and 5. At 11 pm, he closed the book stall and perpetrated the offence on the boy threatening to hit with a rod if he did not comply with his demands. 

Noticing Sarma in deep slumber, the boy came out of the book stall around 5 am. Noticing a police constable, the boy revealed to him that he ran away from home. The police handed over the boy to the Child Line activist on platform number one. The Child Line activist alerted the boy’s father. 

The boy revealed everything to the father, who lodged a complaint with the Government Railway Police. GRP Inspector Chandrayya investigated the case and took the accused under custody on December 30. The boy’s statement was recorded. He gathered information from the Child Line activist Kanakayya, boy’s father,brother, book-stall owner Prabadh Kapoor and others. Later, the accused was produced before the magistrate. 

The boy was sent to Gandhi Hospital for medical examination.The police said that earlier Mahendra Sarma was let off with a warning as the police found on the platform in an inebriated condition. 

Inspector Chdnaraiah advise parents to treat children with love and affection and treat them like a friends. Further, he advised them to keep an eye on them whether they are regularly going to school or not. 

Government Railway Police Deputy Superintendent of Police Rajendraprasad said that the police would get tough with those who display unnatural sexual behaviour. He threatened to take stern action against those who sexually assault the minors. The police have been paying special attention to missing children and those who run away from homes to reunite them with their families. 

By KB Ramesh