The boy has suffered 30 per cent burn injuries.
A seven-year-old boy, the son of a power-loom worker in Bhiwandi suburb in Maharashtra's Thane district, was sexually assaulted and then set on fire, allegedly by three men on Saturday. The incident took place when the child had gone to eat at a langar organised by temple authorities on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti.
Police say on April 3 the boy had a dispute with the accused over a game of cricket. On April 4, when the trio spotted the minor at the langar, they took him to an isolated room, sexually assaulted him and then set him on fire for resisting the assault.
"I stepped out of my house because I heard sounds. When I came out, I saw smoke coming out of the house opposite mine. I opened the door and started pouring water. When the smoke reduced, I saw the boy's leg. He was tied up. I quickly untied him and took him to the nearest hospital", said Suresh Yadav, who lives in an accommodation opposite the room where the incident occurred.
The boy has suffered 30 per cent burn injuries and is being treated at the Thane Civil Hospital. Doctors say the child is stable and recovering.
All three accused have been arrested by the police and booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code including kidnapping, unnatural sex and wrongful confinement. They've also been charged under the Protection of Children against Sexual Offences Act.
"We got some critical clues at the site of the incident. Based on those clues, we tracked the accused and arrested them. All the accused have confessed to the crime", Bhiwandi DCP Sudhir Dhabade told NDTV.
The Thane Sessions Court granted the police three days custody of the accused for further investigation. All three accused are 18 years old.