Gonikoppa: A man has been arrested under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, on charges of sexually assaulting his minor stepdaughter. The minor girl, who got pregnant, has delivered a baby girl on Aug. 31.

Details: A woman, who is working at a hotel in Gonikoppa, lost her husband two years ago and was now leading a life with a construction worker from Mysuru. The woman has two daughters. While the elder daughter is working at a call centre, her 17-year-old second daughter, had discontinued her studies and was staying in home.

The stepfather, who used to take extra care of the minor girl used to scold the woman (girl’s mother) if she scolded the girl and used to speak in favour of the minor girl.

The Police complaint stated that the woman’s eldest daughter, suspecting the stepfather’s behaviour had warned her minor sister to be careful about him.

The eldest daughter, who came to Gonikoppa recently, came to know that her sister had not menstruated. Suspecting something fishy, she brought a pregnancy kit and tested her sister for pregnancy which turned out to be negative. She then left to Mysuru for work.

When she again came to Gonikoppa for Gowri festival, her sister developed severe stomach pain and rushed her to a hospital, where the doctors told her that her sister was pregnant and the minor girl delivered a baby girl on Aug. 31.

When questioned, the minor girl revealed that her stepfather had been sexually assaulting her since 2021, following which a complaint was lodged against him with Gonikoppa Police.

Gonikoppa Police, who registered a case under POCSO Act and SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, arrested the man and produced him before a Court which remanded him to judicial custody.