CHENNAI: Investigating the complaint of a minor girl going missing assuming that she eloped with her boyfriend, the city police found that she was a victim of sexual assault for the last four years by her stepfather. The accused was arrested by the Royala Nagar Police on Friday.

The 15-year-old girl left a letter at her home describing the harassment she underwent and went to her native with her friend.

The arrested man was identified as Vinoth (40), staff of a private security company. In 2017, Vinoth got married to a woman, who had separated from her husband. The woman moved in with Vinoth along with her daughter who was then all of nine years.

Police investigations revealed that Vinoth started sexually harassing the girl since she was 11 years old and threatened her against disclosing this to her mother. The girl, who is studying Class 10, left her home last week after which the family filed a missing complaint.

As a 21-year-old man from the same neighbourhood, who happened to be the girl’s friend, was also not to be found, the officially initially suspected it to be a case of elopement. However, after tracing the girl and the man, they found that the girl had sought the help of her friend to escape from her house.

The minor girl explained to the police personnel about the ordeal she underwent, after which Royala Nagar police arrested Vinoth under sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act. He was produced before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody.