Chhota Udepur: The local police on Wednesday arrested owner of a pickup van and booked five others, including the driver, for sexually assaulting and harassing minor schoolgirls inside the vehicle.

Nine students were returning from school when some co-passengers allegedly harassed them, prompting the students to jump out of the moving van, resulting in minor injuries.

As per a complaint lodged by a 17-year-old girl, while they were leaping out of the van, the driver lost control, resulting in the vehicle overturning. Responding to the commotion, local residents hurried to the scene, transporting the injured girls to the local health center. Meanwhile, the accused, including the driver, managed to escape.

Chhota Udepur SP Imtiyaz Shaikh stated that the local police filed a case under the POCSO Act, as well as charges of theft and molestation. The driver was reportedly transporting farm laborers to Saurashtra, and one of the accused took away the girls’ money. DeshGujarat