Pankaj Gupta, 18, was arrested on Monday for molesting an eight-year-old girl in Phoolbagan on Sunday evening.

According to police, Pankaj took the girl inside the garage in which he works and disrobed her before molesting her. Hearing the girl’s cries, some local residents rescued her and beat up the youth.

“Our officers rushed to the spot but Pankaj had managed to escape by then. We arrested him this morning from his relative’s house, where he had taken shelter,” said an officer of Phoolbagan police station.

The girl, who stays in a slum on Gurudas Road, was alone in her room on Sunday evening. Pankaj, who stays in the neighbourhood, entered the room around 6.30pm and offered her chocolates. After 15 minutes, he took the girl to the nearby garage.

“The girl’s parents had gone to a relatives’ house in Maniktala,” added the officer. According to him, Pankaj often used to visit the family.

“Some neighbours saw him entering the room on Sunday evening but nobody suspected anything as he used to go there often,” said another officer.

The garage was closed on Sunday and Pankaj had the keys with him. He locked the door after taking the girl inside.

Some local residents, who were chatting nearby, broke open the garage door after hearing the girl’s screams. They said they found the girl naked.