UP man held for raping child in Delhi on Holi

Nearly a month after a six-year-old child was raped on Holi day in a south Delhi locality, a 32-year-old Uttar Pradesh native has been arrested for the crime, the Delhi Police said on Sunday.

Accused Mantram of Sidharth Nagar went missing after the crime was reported on March 13. He was arrested on Saturday night.

"Mantram worked at a food stall in south Delhi's Nehru Place. He found the six-year-old girl playing in a park and took her to a deserted place and raped her," Deputy Commissioner of Police Romil Baaniya said.

The girl's father, a resident of Navjeevan Camp in Govind Puri area, had lodged a missing complaint with the police on March 13 night.

The police formed multiple teams to crack the case and detained over 100 'Gramin Seva' TSR service drivers and factory workers from the area, he said.

Mantram told the police he had smeared his face and clothes with colour to hide his identity. A case under the stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act has been registered against him.

--IANS

sp/tsb/vt