Belthangady: Auto driver arrested for raping 14-year-old girl

Mangalore Today News Network

Belthangady, Aug 21, 2026: Venur police have arrested an auto-rickshaw driver under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for allegedly raping a minor girl.

The accused has been identified as Jamaluddin, a resident of Venur in Belthangady.

According to the police, the 14-year-old girl had been travelling to and from school in the accused’s autorickshaw for the past few months. During this period, he allegedly behaved inappropriately with her and threatened her with dire consequences when she objected. Fearing him, the girl did not inform anyone about the alleged harassment.

The girl told police that on August 13, when she was alone at home in the evening, the accused came to the house, threatened her and allegedly raped her.

Based on her complaint, Venur police registered a case under Sections 75(2), 64(1), 65(1) and 351(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and Sections 4(2), 8 and 12 of the POCSO Act, 2012.

Police took the accused into custody on August 15 and produced him before the court, which remanded him to judicial custody.