Two elderly men among three booked for sexually assaulting nine-year-old girl

Police have registered an FIR after a nine-year-old girl housed at a children’s home in Mankhurd revealed that she was sexually assaulted by three men, including two senior citizens, on different occasions in the last two years

Police have registered an FIR after a nine-year-old girl housed at a children’s home in Mankhurd revealed that she was sexually assaulted by three men, including two senior citizens, on different occasions in the last two years.

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On June 20, the girl was spotted by Priya Chavan, a member of NGO Devamrut Samajsevi Sanstha, when she was roaming around in Bhandup, police officers said. Chavan then put her in the children’s home.

Initially, the girl told the staff that her parents were separated and while her mother lived in Solapur, her father had married another woman and stayed at Khindipada. She was living with her mother’s aunt in Bhandup, she said.

On August 5, two persons aged 62 and 65, met her at the facility, claiming that they had raised the girl. But probation officer Chhaya Muthha got suspicious after seeing their behaviour. She then took the girl into confidence and encouraged her to talk about her problems. The girl gradually started opening up, an officer at Bhandup police station said.

The girl told Muthha on August 29 that her mother was into drugs. One day, her aunt (girl’s grandmother) caught her in the act and after a fight with her mother, took the girl along with her.

Since her grandmother didn’t have a house she took help of Appa alias Ashok Varungshe, 62, a person known to her, and kept the girl at his place in Diva. A few days later, Varungshe sexually assaulted the girl, she told the counsellor.

After the lockdown was lifted, the grandmother took her to Bhandup. “The grandmother’s employer had given them a shanty-like structure to live in. One Dinesh Bhai, 65, who was known to her grandmother, would often visit her house and when her grandmother and her employer were out, he would rape the girl,” Muthha said in her statement to the police.

The nine-year-old also told the probation officer that when she was living with her mother at Nahur, a person had visited their house and asked her mother about staying there. Her mother allowed him. The very next day, that person sexually assaulted her while her mother was asleep, the girl said.

After recording the girl’s statement, Muthha produced her before the Child Welfare Committee, which directed the officer to immediately report the incident to the police.

“We have registered a case and are investigating the allegations,” Deputy Commissioner of Police Prashant Kadam said.

The Bhandup police have registered a case under sections 376 and 376 (A)(B) of the Indian Penal Code and sections 4, 6, 8 and 12 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, against the two elderly citizens and one unidentified person.

“On Tuesday, we sent the girl to the hospital for a medical examination. We are questioning the two men. No arrests have been made yet. We will soon get the girl’s statement recorded before a magistrate under the section 164 of CrPC,” Nitin Unhavne, senior inspector of Bhandup police station, said.

Chavan said, “The three people have taken the advantage of this girl’s innocence.”