Domestic help raped twice in south Mumbai high-rise

A 30-year-old woman, who works as a house help in a south Mumbai high-rise was allegedly raped twice by another house help working in the same building. The police said the woman was a recent divorcee. In a desperate attempt to get her husband back, she trusted the 55-year-old man, who promised to help her using black magic, but only if she had sex with him, the police said.

A case was registered on Sunday evening, after which the accused was arrested from his Grant Road residence.

According to the police, the survivor got divorced three years ago because she was suspicious her husband was having an affair. She shifted to her Ratnagiri maternal residence first before relocating to Mumbai, around nine months ago.

An officer from Gamdevi police station, requesting anonymity, said, “After shifting to Mumbai, the woman took some odd jobs. She lives with her two minor daughters. She found a job as a house help in the south Mumbai building just three months ago.”

The two house helps became friends and she soon confided in him her to desire to get back with her husband, the police said. The accused allegedly told the woman he was aware of some black magic, which could help her.

On December 22, the accused called the survivor to his room in the same building and gave her a lemon after reciting a mantra in front of her.

“The complainant alleged the accused asked her to keep the lemon with her and then to have sex with him. The accused claimed her husband will come back only if she maintains a physical relationship with him because then the lemon would not have any effect,” said a police officer.

Later on January 9, the accused raped her again on the same pretext, the police said. The woman found out she was pregnant soon after. When she told the man, he took her to the doctor, but didn’t tell her it was for an abortion, the police said.

“When she was about to get operated, the doctor informed her about the abortion procedure, which is when the woman ran home and informed her relatives about the entire incident and later registered a case with the Antop Hill police station,” said an officer.