The Ramamurthy Nagar police on Saturday booked a scrap vendor for allegedly getting into a relationship with and sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl for many months.

The accused, identified as Imran, 20, allegedly took the victim, a Class 9 student, home, and sexually assaulted her. Threatened against telling about the incident, the victim did not tell her parents and used to be irregular to school.

The incident came to light when teachers called her mother and informed her about the issue. The mother, suspecting something was wrong, questioned the child who then narrated her ordeal in detail. They then told the father who filed a complaint with the police.

Based on the complaint, the police detained the accused and subjected the victim to a medical examination.

He was charged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, and under Section 65 (1) (Rigorous imprisonment for not less than 20 years but which may extend to imprisonment for life, which shall mean imprisonment for the remainder of that person’s natural life and fine) of the BNS, and is under further investigation.