A drugged man, a teenage girl and a suspicious death in a South Mumbai hotel

A 42-year-old man died after checking into a Mumbai hotel with a 14-year-old girl, who alleged he sexually assaulted her; investigation ongoing

MUMBAI: On Saturday afternoon, at around 4 pm, a 42-year-old Surat resident checked into a hotel on DB Marg in south Mumbai with a 14-year-old girl, claiming she was his daughter.

According to the police, the deceased lived in Surat with his wife and daughter and worked at a shop. (Representational image)

Barely two hours later, the story unravelled as the man fell unconscious and was rushed to a hospital, where he was declared brought dead. The police, who suspect that he died after overdosing on some artificial stimulant, found that the girl’s father was paralysed and he used to help the family financially, while her mother alleged the deceased had sexually assaulted her minor daughter.

According to the police, the deceased lived in Surat with his wife and daughter and worked at a shop. He was a friend of the girl’s father, who also lived in Surat and was undergoing treatment for paralysis. He would visit the girl’s house often and help out the family financially, so they could bear the treatment costs.

At around 6pm, the girl intimated the hotel manager that the man had become unconscious. Though the hotel staff informed the police and rushed him to the hospital, he was declared dead on arrival, said inspector Sanjay Gaikwad from DB Marg police station.

The post-mortem was conducted at JJ Hospital and his viscera was preserved and sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Kalina for chemical analysis, police officials said.

Following a detailed inquiry, the police informed the deceased’s and the girl’s family about the development. They also recorded the statement of the girl’s mother, who alleged the deceased had sexually assaulted her daughter. The girl subsequently underwent a medical examination and a first information report was registered under sections 137(2), 64(1), 65(1), 336(2), 336(3), and 340(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with relevant sections of the Protection of Children Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

“The postmortem report is awaited. The viscera has been sent to Kalina and the cause of death will clear once the report comes,” said Gaikwad.