Badlapur resident arrested for raping 13-year-old cancer patient

The incident came to light when doctors treating the girl at Mumbai’s Kasturba Hospital discovered that she was two months pregnant

THANE: The police on Thursday arrested a 29-year-old man from Badlapur East for allegedly raping a 13-year-old girl from Bihar who is being treated for cancer in Mumbai.

Badlapur resident arrested for raping 13-year-old cancer patient

The incident came to light when doctors treating the girl at Mumbai’s Kasturba Hospital discovered that she was two months pregnant, after which the hospital authorities immediately alerted the police, said senior police inspector Kiran Balwatkar from the Badlapur East police station.

According to the police, the sexual assault took place at the accused’s home in Badlapur East, where the survivor and her mother were staying during her chemotherapy sessions.

The accused hails from the same village in Bihar as the survivor’s family and had gained their trust under the pretence of supporting them during the girl’s treatment, said Balwatkar. The accused had allowed the survivor and her mother to stay at his house and later helped them find rented accommodation in Badlapur during the girl’s treatment period, the police officer added.

Around three months ago, when the girl was alone at home, the accused allegedly raped her on multiple occasions. The girl did not tell her family about the assault because the accused assured her of continued support for her family and threatened to tarnish their reputation in their village if she did not comply, said Balwatkar.

Doctors at Kasturba Hospital later discovered that she was pregnant. When they inquired about it, the girl broke down and revealed she had been raped by the accused, said the police.

“The hospital authorities immediately informed us, and we acted promptly and arrested the accused,” said Balwatkar. “He has been sent to police custody for two days. Further investigation is going on. A case has been registered against him under relevant sections of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012.”