Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], April 23 : A 25-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly attacking a Class 10 school girl with a stone and injuring her in a village near the Sanjauli area of Shimla, police said.
The accused has been identified as Akshay Thakur (25), a resident of Dhalli in Shimla. He was arrested on Wednesday night, two days after the incident, which occurred on April 21, when the girl was returning home from school.
According to police, the accused allegedly attempted to snatch the girl's belongings in a deserted forest stretch near the village. When the victim raised an alarm, he reportedly struck her on the head with a stone, leaving her seriously injured. Hearing her cries, other students passing by rushed to the spot, forcing the accused to flee. The injured girl was later brought to the roadside by fellow students and rushed to Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) Hospital for treatment.
Police have registered a case under Sections 109 (attempt to murder), 64, 78 (stalking), 126(2) (wrongful restraint), and 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Section 18 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The victim's statement is yet to be recorded.
Superintendent of Police (SP), Shimla, Gaurav Singh, informed that the accused has been arrested and he was taken for a medical examination as well.
"We have arrested the accused. The victim has been discharged. The medical examination of the accused was conducted, and he was not found intoxicated."
He added that police patrolling has been intensified across the city, with special focus on schools, parking areas, secluded locations, and spots that could be frequented by drug addicts.
The incident comes close on the heels of a recent murder of a college student in Mandi district, raising concerns over safety in the region.
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