Five held for bid to kidnap, molest girl on way to school

The accused, riding motorcycles, tried to stop the class 8 student while she was going to her school in the Vasai area on Monday.

While one of the accused pointed a knife at the 13 -year-old girl, another one tried to drag her away, the district police said in a release.

However, the girl managed to free herself from their clutches and escaped, the release said.

Some passers-by reprimanded the accused who then fled on their vehicles, it said.

Based on a complaint, the Manickpur police in Vasai yesterday arrested the three men.

The other two accused, both aged 17, were also taken into custody, Manickpur police inspector Anil Patil said.

The accused were booked under IPC sections 363 (kidnapping) and 354 (molestation), and relevant provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the release said.

The accused had earlier also allegedly stalked the girl on her way to school, the police said.