Kharghar: Man arrested for raping teenage step-daughter

Kharghar police arrest 42-year-old advocate for raping teenage step-daughter for 4 years. Survivor confided in teacher. Accused remanded to custody.

NAVI MUMBAI: The Kharghar police on Tuesday arrested a 42-year-old advocate for allegedly raping his teenage step-daughter for nearly four years. This was after the 14-year-old survivor confided in her school teacher, who then filed a police complaint.

Accident or crime scene cordon tape, police line do not cross. It is nighttime, emergency lights of police cars flashing blue, red and white in the background (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

According to the complaint, the ordeal began around May 2020, when the girl was 10. The accused allegedly sexually abused the girl whenever her mother left the house for work.

“The stepfather is said to have raped the girl by luring her with gifts and toys. At times, he also would buy her food that she loved. As she grew up and began to resist the abuse, he threatened her with dire consequences if she revealed anything to her mother,” said police sub-inspector Sarala Dasgude from the Kharghar police station. The accused and the survivor’s mother got married in 2018.

The accused man was arrested under section 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. On April 24, he was presented before a court in Panvel, which remanded him to police custody till April 25.