Driver rapes minor who hitchhiked lorry ride in Chennai
CHENNAI: A 15-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a lorry driver who took her in his vehicle under the pretext of dropping her at her destination on Wednesday night. Based on the girls complaint, the man was arrested in the wee hours of Thursday and sent in remand later. According to the Puzhal All Women Police, the incident occurred when the girl was waiting for bus at Puzhal to go to Moolakadai. While the girl was waiting at the spot, a lorry stopped at the bus stop, and the driver asked the girl about her destination. He then offered to drop her there and took her in his lorry. After driving a short distance, he allegedly pulled over the vehicle on to the roadside and assaulted her, the police said. The girl then escaped from the spot and reached home. Following her complaint, the police registered a case under relevant sections of the Pocso Act. A team examined CCTV footage from the stretch, identified the lorrys registration number and traced the vehicle to a nearby parking area. The driver, Sivaraman (35) of Tirukkovilur in Kallakurichi district, was arrested. After an inquiry, he was sent for judicial remand.