PITHORAGARH: A 35-year-old man, previously convicted under the POCSO Act and released on parole just last month, has been arrested for the r*pe of a five-year-old girl here. The accused, Hosiyar Singh, a local driver, was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2024 for sexually assaulting a minor boy in a 2022 case.
The incident came to light when the young girl went missing from her home, leading her family to file a missing person report. Four police teams were immediately deployed, and the child was rescued around midnight on June 24 in a panicked state near the local roadways station. She has been admitted to the district female hospital for medical treatment and is currently under the care of the District Child Welfare Committee.
The accused has been booked under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the POCSO Act. Police said further investigations are ongoing to gather more evidence in the case. The incident has raised serious questions about the effectiveness of parole monitoring for repeat sexual offenders, particularly those with prior convictions against children.
