Mumbai: The D.N. Nagar police have arrested a 38-year-old Andheri resident for allegedly subjecting his teenage daughter to sexual abuse for over a year at his residence. The exploitation came to light after the victim confided in one of her teachers, who, in turn, contacted a local NGO.
Letter from CWC
According to the police, the matter came to their attention after they received a letter from the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) on Tuesday, informing them about the sexual exploitation of a 13-year-old girl at the hands of her father. The letter directed the police to investigate the matter and take appropriate action, and mentioned that Dilasa Crisis Centre For Women, an NGO, had reported the matter to the committee.
“As the letter mentioned that the victim had confided in her school teacher, we sent a team to the school and made inquiries with the teacher, who told us that on March 4, the Class VII student had approached her and told her that her father had repeatedly been raping her since January 2016, and threatening to kill her if she told anyone about her plight. The teacher then contacted Dilasa, who took the matter to the CWC,” said an officer with the D.N. Nagar police.
Inquiries with victim
The police then made inquiries with the victim in the presence of members of Dilasa and she told the police in her statement that she had last month confided in her mother about the exploitation.
“When her mother confronted her father, he threatened to kill both the mother and the victim if they did not stay silent. The sexual abuse, meanwhile, continued, and the accused last raped the victim on March 5,” said the officer.
Tailor picked up
The police then subjected the victim to medical tests at Cooper Hospital in Vile Parle, while her father, a tailor by profession, was picked up at his residence and subsequently placed under arrest.
“We are now interrogating the accused about the extent and duration of the crime, and are also finding out if he has similarly exploited any of his other children. The victim has two sisters and two brothers, all of them younger to her,” the officer added.
The accused has been charged with rape and criminal intimidation under the Indian Penal Code and sexual assault on a minor under the Protection of Children against Sexual Offences Act.
