Gurgaon cop held for raping teen hired to care for his children

“The girl was working on a 24-hour contract at the accused’s house… he would threaten her not to tell anyone about the incident. On Thursday, she called her aunt and told her she didn’t want to work at the house any longer and wished to leave. Her aunt went to the policeman’s house on Friday and filed a complaint against the accused after bringing the child,” said an officer.

DCP (CAW) Virender Vij said the woman lodged a complaint stating that her niece, employed as a help, was sexually assaulted by the employer. “On receiving this information, as per the relevant section of the POCSO Act, the women’s police station registered the complaint and conducted a medical examination of the victim. As per Section 164 of the CrPC, her statement was recorded in court. The case is being investigated with utmost seriousness,” he said.

The complainant, who also works as a caretaker of a baby, had brought her niece to Gurgaon in June and the victim had been living with her. The girl was employed in Delhi before this, another officer said, adding that the complaint alleged that the girl said she was raped two-three times by the accused.

The FIR has been filed under Section 6 of the POCSO Act.

The incident comes two weeks after a 13-year-old girl working as a domestic help in an upscale locality in Gurgaon was allegedly physically and sexually assaulted by her employers who thrashed her, stripped her, and confined her in their house, police said. The employers included a 55-year-old woman and her two adult sons. Police had said the woman also allegedly burnt the teenager’s hand with acid and coaxed the family dog into biting her.

In this case too, the girl worked on a 24-hour work contract. The woman was arrested on December 12 and released the same day as the offence was bailable.

Following the girl’s rescue, the domestic workers’ union had written to the Gurgaon DC to scrap all kinds of 24-hour work agreements and to check the employment of minors as domestic workers. A charter to spell out domestic workers’ rights is in the pipeline in the district.

In February, Gurgaon Police had arrested a couple for allegedly torturing their 17-year-old help over five months. Police had said the minor was beaten with iron tongs and sticks, assaulted using a blade, and was given only one small meal a day.