Television actor Pearl V Puri has been arrested by Vasai police for allegedly sexually assaulting a five-year-old girl in 2019.

Waliv police in Vasai arrested Puri and produced him before a court, that sent him to judicial custody for two weeks.

According to the police, a complaint was lodged by the minor’s father in 2019, but at that time, the identity of the accused was not established.

Sanjay Patil, deputy commissioner of police (DCP), zone 2 Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai-Virar Police Commissionerate, said the identity of the accused had not been revealed when the investigation began.

“The victim identified the accused recently, and after recording her statement, the accused has been arrested. After the identification of the accused, we have taken him into custody for further investigation,” said Patil.

Puri has been booked under Sections 376 AB (punishment for rape of woman under 12 years of age) of the Indian Penal Code, and Sections 4 (punishment for penetrative sexual assault), 8 (punishment for sexual assault), 12 (punishment for sexual harassment), 19 (reporting of offences) and 21 (punishment for failure to report or record a case) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.

Puri has filed a bail application, which is yet to be heard.