Valsad: In a case involving the kidnapping and rape of a minor tribal girl in Dharampur taluka, Valsad Police have arrested a 27-year-old man, Osman bin Mahmood Pathan, from Mumbai. The accused was produced before a court, which granted police remand until January 28. Relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act have also been invoked against the accused.

According to police, the minor girl from a tribal community went missing from a village in Dharampur on January 19. Her father filed a complaint at Dharampur police station, alleging that the youth had kidnapped his daughter on the pretext of marriage. Following the complaint, officers launched an immediate investigation.

Given the seriousness of the case, Valsad District Police Chief Yuvrajsinh Jadeja formed multiple teams from the Local Crime Branch (LCB), Valsad City, Valsad Rural, and Pardi police stations. Technical surveillance and CCTV footage revealed that the minor had boarded a Mumbai-bound train from Valsad Railway Station along with the accused.

Police teams conducted searches at railway stations in Mumbai and, with assistance from the Railway Protection Force (RPF) at Mumbai Central, safely traced and rescued the minor. After a medical examination, she was handed over to her family. Preliminary questioning revealed that the accused had allegedly raped the minor against her will. Valsad Police continue to investigate the matter.

Investigators learned the pair had connected via social media (Instagram). A case was registered against Pathan under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. DeshGujarat