A 13 year-old Muslim girl was allegedly molested by a BJP corporator of the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC).
According to the police, the corporator, Ashwin Kasodriya (38), represents the Shanti Nagar area in Mira Road West on Friday afternoon allegedly inappropriately touched a teen-aged girl inside the staircase of the four storey residential apartment complex.
The Muslim family due to the scariness of the BJP corporator sought protection from the police in a case.
“The complainant is 13 years old and stays in the same building as Kasodriya. According to her compliant, at 1.30 pm on Friday, she was climbing down the stairs of her building when she met him. The girl greeted Kasodriya, who instead put his hand around her waist and pulled her to him. The scared girl shouted out and rushed to her home, and told her parents about the incident,” said an officer at Mira Road police station.
The mother of the young victim said, “My daughter’s exams are going on. She is in a state of shock. She has even left the tuitions. Now she even feels scary to walk down the staircase.”
“We have given an application in police station for a security cover as of now there is no arrest in the case. Initially there was pressure from the local BJP leader on us to withdraw the FIR.”
“The corporator was registered under Section 354 (molestation) and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, after the girl complained to her mother,” said Avinash Ambure, Additional Superintendent of Police.
However, the corporator has been granted interim anticipatory bail and the final hearing is on April 18 at the Thane court.