The Chamba police have arrested a man for allegedly sexually assaulting his two minor nieces at different times in the Telka area under the Salooni subdivision.

The accused was arrested following a complaint lodged by the victims' family. Police have registered a case under the relevant provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

According to the police, the accused allegedly raped his two minor nieces, aged 17 and 15, at different times and at different places.

The family was left shocked after the girls narrated the alleged ordeal to their parents, following which the victims' father lodged a complaint at the Women's Police Station in Chamba.

Chamba Superintendent of Police Vijay Kumar Saklani said the accused was arrested and remanded to police custody by the court. The victims have undergone medical examination and the survivors' statements are being recorded.

The SP said the investigating team had been directed to fast-track the probe.

According to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report, Himachal Pradesh recorded 1,605 cases of crimes against women in 2024, including 324 rape cases. A high proportion of the reported crimes involved minor victims, and in more than 96 per cent of the cases, the accused were known to the victims, including family members or friends.