Rajasthan man rapes daughter for months, arrested

BARMER: A 44-year-old man was arrested on Monday for allegedly raping his 13-year-old daughter repeatedly for months in Pali district of Rajasthan, police said, adding that the minor girl is nearly two months’ pregnant.

A case under Section 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act was registered against the accused on Monday, Anil Kumar, station house officer, Pali police station, said.

The incident came to light after the girl, who had complained of stomach ache, was brought to a hospital in Pali on Saturday, and her sonography report confirmed she was pregnant. The hospital subsequently informed the police about the incident, Kumar said.

Initially, the girl’s family members refused to lodge a police complaint and took her away. However, taking serious note of the matter, Pali superintendent of police (SP) Gagandeep Singh ordered officers to initiate an investigation.

The Rajasthan state commission for protection of child rights also took cognizance of the matter.

“The minor survivor was brought to the Sakhi Centre [state government-run shelter home] for counselling. Despite hours of counselling, the girl hesitated to open up before the officers. However, later she narrated her ordeal to the police,” a senior police officer said, requesting anonymity. “She informed the police that her father had raped her several times and threatened her not to share the incident with anybody.”

Police said that the girl’s father, a drug addict, used to rape the minor when his wife was not at home.

“The minor girl is one-and-a-half-month pregnant. An application for abortion has been filed in the court. We are waiting for the permission,” the SHO said. “She will be kept in the Sakhi Centre for some time before handing over to her family members.”