Tension in Himachal's Bilaspur after 5-year-old raped; 15-year-old boy detained

Bilaspur (HP), Mar 7 (PTI) Tension prevailed in a village in Himachal's Bilaspur district on Saturday after a five-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a 15-year-old boy, prompting police to take immediate action and detain the accused.

According to the police, the incident took place on Friday. It is alleged that the boy took the girl to the fields and committed the crime. As news of the incident spread, a crowd gathered and vandalized the house of the accused. The doors and glass windows were broken and a scooter parked outside was set on fire.

The commotion continued till Friday night. The mob demanded that the accused be handed over to them, but police managed to calm the crowd and assured them of appropriate action.

Both the accused and the victim are from the same village, the police said. On Saturday morning, the atmosphere remained tense as a large number of Vishwa Hindu Parishad members gathered outside the victim's house.

Police reached the spot to bring the situation under control amid protests and uproar.

The police detained the accused on Saturday and booked him under relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and will be presented before the competent court, Bilaspur SP Sandeep Dhawal said, assuring strict action against the culprit.

The administration has also appealed to local residents to exercise restraint and maintain law and order. PTI COR BPL AKY