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HIV-positive girl raped, forced into abortion at Latur shelter in Maharashtra; four arrested
The minor girl fell ill and was taken to a hospital, where medical tests revealed she was four months pregnant.
Four persons were arrested on Friday after an HIV-positive minor girl complained of being raped over a period of two years at a children's shelter in Maharashtra’s Latur district and of being forced to undergo an abortion when she became pregnant.
According to the complaint filed by the girl at Dhoki police station in her native Dharashiv district, the assaults took place between July 13 2023 and July 23 this year at Sevalay, a shelter home for HIV-infected children located in Hasegaon, PTI reported, quoting an unnamed police official.
“As per her complaint, the child had been residing at the institution for the past two years. She was allegedly raped four times by an employee of the children’s home. He also threatened her not to disclose the ordeal to anyone. The institution’s management did not assist her and even tore up a letter she had written to officials, which she had placed in a complaint box,” the official added.
The girl later fell ill and was taken to hospital, where medical tests revealed she was four months pregnant. Following this, the accused arranged for a doctor to perform an abortion procedure without her consent, the official said.
Based on the complaint, six people were booked by Dhoki police, including the founder and superintendent of the shelter, the employee who allegedly raped her, and the doctor who carried out the abortion procedure.
After the case was transferred to Ausa police station, under whose jurisdiction the alleged offences took place, four persons were arrested, said Latur Superintendent of Police Amol Tambe.
He identified the arrested people as Sevalay founder Ravi Bapatle, its superintendent Rachna Bapatle, and employees Amit Mahamuni and Pooja Waghmare.
With PTI inputs
