PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE | Haridwar
Haridwar police arrested a man accused of assaulting a minor who had been evading arrest by disguising himself as a devotee. The accused, identified as Deepak Saini (40) of Subhashnagar, Jwalapur, was wanted under the POCSO Act for allegedly luring and assaulting a minor.
The officials informed that the police spotted Saini roaming in the Chandi Ghat area dressed as Lord Shiva. His change in behaviour on seeing the police raised suspicion, leading to his arrest through a joint operation.
The officials said that during questioning, Saini claimed to be a Trikaldarshi Shiva devotee and admitted to offering women and minors ‘blessings’ and ‘prasad’ in exchange for fulfilling their wishes.
According to the officials, Saini has a criminal history with cases registered against him in Jwalapur and Saharanpur police stations for offences including assaulting his wife, dowry harassment, hurting religious sentiments, rioting and breach of peace. The accused was presented before the court and sent to jail on Friday.
