Sixty-one-year-old local Shiv Sena leader Vasudeo Nambiar was arrested on Friday for allegedly raping a minor, who studied in a school run by him. The crime came to light after the girl recently delivered a child.
Nambiar, the district deputy chief of Shiv Sena who also owns a school and a temple in Kashimira township of Thane was arrested, Kashimira police station inspector Anil Kadam said.
The accused took her out several times on the pretext of visiting the temple and then allegedly raped her repeatedly at a place in Thane district’s Mira village in February this year, he said.
He also threatened the girl with dire consequences if she revealed about the offence to anybody, he said.
Later, the girl became pregnant and delivered a premature baby earlier this week.
Following the birth of the child, the hospital authorities reported the matter to police who booked Mr. Nambiar on Thursday and arrested him on Friday, he said.
The accused has been charged under sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC and section 4 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
He was produced before a local magistrate on Friday who remanded him to police custody till September 11, Mr. Kadam said.
