Mohali, March 14 -- The Mohali police have arrested a maternal uncle for raping and sexually assaulting his 9-year-old niece. The accused has been identified as a Chandigarh resident. According to police, the child's mother had been living in the United States since 2015. She gave birth to the girl in 2017 and later went through a divorce. Amid family difficulties, including the death of her father and her mother's stage-four cancer diagnosis, she decided to send her daughter to India for schooling. In August 2025, she left the child with her cousin sister's family in Chandigarh, believing the girl would be safe there. Police said the alleged abuse came to light in February 2026 when the mother returned to Chandigarh and noticed her daughter behaving unusually scared and withdrawn. After repeated questioning, the child revealed that her uncle had been sexually abusing her during the months she stayed there. The girl also alleged that the accused threatened and beat her to keep her silent. The mother approached the police after learning about the incident. Police registered a case under sections 65(2) (deals with the punishment for rape), 115(2) (deals with voluntarily hurt), 351(2) (deals with criminal intimidation) of the BNS and section 6 of the POSCO Act. Police arrested the accused and launched an investigation. Officials said the child has been sent for medical examination and counselling....