Pune: A 17-year-old sexual assault survivor went missing on Friday evening from the Sassoon General Hospital, where she was taken for a medical check-up by the authorities of a Kalepadal-based observation home for girls.An official (24) of the observation home lodged a complaint at the Bund Garden police station on Saturday after conducting a search for the girl.Sub inspector Dhiraj Gupta of the Bund Garden police said, “A complaint of sexual assault involving the girl had been lodged at the Baner police station around four days ago. Following this, she was shifted to an observation home for further legal and medical procedures.”Baner police had found the girl living in a room in the area with a 23-year-old man who works as a driver.“After a case was filed in the matter and the girl was shifted, the observation home officials took her for a medical check-up on Friday morning. The complainant accompanied her to the hospital, where the girl’s parents also arrived. The girl underwent medical tests and then asked for some time to be alone. She then walked out unnoticed,” Gupta said.He added, “Examination of CCTV footage at the spot shows that she was walking alone towards the gates of the hospital and then disappears into the traffic on the road. We are studying more CCTV cameras in the area and also tracking down her relatives to trace her.”For now, police have registered a case of abduction, as is mandated by Supreme Court guidelines in cases of minors going missing.Senior inspector Chandrashekhar Sawant of the Baner police said, “Before shifting to Pune, the girl was in Mumbai with her parents. Childline officials received a message around 20 days ago, stating that a minor girl would be married off in Mumbai. Local police thwarted the wedding, and the girl was handed over to her parents.”“However, the girl came to Pune with her partner and they started living together. Our team then received a call about the minor being in a conjugal relationship. This is when the girl was found staying with the driver in a room. We rescued her and shifted her to the observation home. We also registered a case of sexual assault and invoked Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act provisions in the case,” Sawant said.He added, “We have arrested the man and he is lodged in Yerawada Central Prison at present.”Gupta further said, “We are in contact with the girl’s parents, while a search has been undertaken in Mumbai and her partner’s native place in Pune district.”
