The incident occurred when the girl’s father went to the accused Shaikh Mohammad’s shop for a cushion seat for his motorcycle. He sat his daughter near Mohammed, who allegedly offered her a chocolate before molesting her.
The father came to know about the incident when the girl complained of pain in her genital area. He called his friends and they rushed to a Masjid, where the accused had supposedly gone to offer prayers. However, he did not answer to their yells to come out. The father, his friends and a team of police went to his house in Fatorda, where he was arrested.
The accused was later taken for a medical check-up.
Several people from the vicinity expressed anger over the incident. A parent from Margao stated, “A four-and-a-half year old girl is not safe from such elements and is traumatized in such a way – my heart cries. I suggest that police take the most serious action and create a deterrent for such elements.”
