27 March,2026 12:32 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondent
The accused has been arrested, and a probe is underway. Representational Pic
A 28-year-old man from Maharashtra's Thane district was arrested on Friday for allegedly molesting minor girls, police said.
The accused, who lives in Titwala area, is alleged to have inappropriately touched a 13-year-old girl on Thursday. The locals in the vicinity have alleged similar acts by the suspect in the past, the PTI reported.
According to police, the girl informed her parents about the incident. When they discussed the matter with neighbours, some local residents also alleged that the accused had molested another child in the same area a few days earlier.
The families of the minors then approached the Kalyan Taluka police station, following which a case was registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, an official said, the news agency reported.
The man has been arrested, and a probe is underway, he added.
The recent arrest of Ashok Kharat reportedly gave courage to a woman to file a complaint against a self-styled godman in Maharashtra's Palghar district, reported the PTI.
She alleged that the self-proclaimed godman had allegedly raped her.
He has been booked for allegedly raping the 35-year-old woman after posing as an incarnation of a deity, police said on Friday, as per PTI.
The woman gathered the courage to file a complaint following the recent arrest of former Merchant Navy officer and self-styled godman Ashok Kharat in Nashik, an official said, according to the PTI.
The police said that the woman first came into contact with the accused through Facebook in 2023. In December that year, he visited the woman in Pune and allegedly deceived her by claiming he was an incarnation of Mahadev and that she was his "Parvati," as per the FIR.
As per the news agency, the complainant alleged that the accused took her to a lodge in Pune's Manjari area, where he administered a numbing substance before raping her. He also allegedly took photographs of her without her knowledge during the assault.
Child Helpline: 1098
Women Helpline: 1091
(With PTI inputs)
