By Aiswarya Raj

Nainital Communal Clash: Shops were vandalised and communal tensions erupted on Wednesday night after the family of a minor lodged a rape complaint against a 65-year-old man in Uttarakhand’s Nainital.

According to police, the minor was allegedly raped by 65-year-old Usman, who worked as a contractor, on April 12. The mother of the victim brought the girl to the police station on Wednesday night, after which an FIR under was registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the accused was arrested.

Following this, around 9.30 pm on Wednesday, a group of men assembled near the market, where the accused had an office, and vandalised shops and eateries run by the minority community. In a video, men were seen slapping staffers at these shops. The crowd also protested in front of a mosque and the police station, said police.

SSP Prahlad Meena said the investigation is ongoing and that “strictest legal action will be ensured against the accused so that no one dares to commit such a shameful act in the future”.

“I appeal to all residents and visitors of Nainital to maintain peace, harmony and mutual brotherhood. Please do not pay attention to any kind of rumours and cooperate with the police in maintaining law and order. Do not participate in any activity that may harm the dignity of Nainital or negatively impact its image as a tourist destination,” he said in a statement.

A large police force has been deployed in the area. Superintendent of Police (City) Jagdish Chandra said police have deployed personnel at the mosque, in pockets where both populations reside, and in the market.

“The traders association has announced that the market will be closed. We are keeping a close watch and have spoken with all the stakeholders to assure them of safety. Our intelligence units are also active to avert any further reactions. We will register a case against those who created disruption last night,” he said.

On April 12, the accused allegedly lured the girl using money and took her to his car, where he allegedly raped her, police said. The girl was a student of a school in the area.

Police said a medical examination of the girl and the report is awaited. The accused will be produced before the court on Thursday morning.

This story was originally published in indianexpress.com.