Valsad, Sep 6 (IANS): Valsad district police in Gujarat have filed a charge sheet in the rape case of a three-year-old girl.

The incident took place on August 27 in Umargam town of Gujarat. The assaulted neighbour has been identified as Ghulam Mustafa, who fled the scene afterwards.

Following intense public outrage, the police arrested Mustafa within an hour near Palghar, Maharashtra, before he could escape to Jharkhand. The police have also filed a 470-page charge sheet against the accused within just nine days of the incident.

The incident sparked protests in the region, with local communities and Hindu organisations expressing anger and demanding the strictest punishment for the perpetrator.

Valsad Police Superintendent Karanraj Vaghela said that the police are working closely with the prosecution to ensure that daily court hearings expedite the process.

Additionally, the POCSO Court has ordered the payment of Rs 2.65 lakh to compensate the victim's family under a government scheme, with 25 per cent of the amount already being paid.

The suspect, who had fled on a running train, was apprehended in Maharashtra within hours. He was booked under Section 65(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for the rape of a minor along with relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Earlier, as news of the incident spread, the locals gathered in large numbers at the Umargam Police Station, demanding immediate action. The police assured the protesters that the accused had already been apprehended and would be brought back to town.