Man arrested for raping niece

Police have arrested a 44-year-old man who allegedly raped his niece and then forced her into prostitution. Police said he was absconding for almost seven years and had been declared a proclaimed offender.

Police have arrested a 44-year-old man who allegedly raped his niece and then forced her into prostitution. Police said he was absconding for almost seven years and had been declared a proclaimed offender.

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Police said accused Punnu Kumar allegedly raped his niece with the help and consent of his wife. They were the residents of the Delhi Cantonment area.

“Punnu was apprehended recently from south Delhi’s Malviya Nagar on a tip-off. He had been declared a proclaimed offender by a court in 2006,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) H G S Dhaliwal.

He added Punnu allegedly raped his niece, who was then 18 years old, several times with the consent of his wife Saroj. Police added that the couple had planned to push her into prostitution so that they could lead a lavish life.

He added that the couple soon pushed the girl into prostitution. “The couple also started taking money from outsiders and forced her to dance in objectionable conditions. When she resisted, she was again beaten up and tortured by the accused,” said Dhaliwal.

However, the girl came in contact with one Shalini, the wife of an Army officer, who helped her in getting a case registered.

Saroj was arrested and in 2006, a court sentenced her to life imprisonment in this case.

Police said that on interrogation, Punnu said it was established that he is habitual drinker. Although his wife was arrested, the accused managed to flee.

“He shifted to other cities of UP with the help of relatives and his in-laws. However, he still managed to regularly visit his wife in Tihar Jail during her judicial custody using different names. But after her conviction to life imprisonment he stopped visiting her,” added Dhaliwal.