Mumbai: Stepbrother arrested for rape of two minors

In their statement to the police, the girls said for the last five years, in the absence of their parents, the accused would often come to their house and touch them inappropriately. “Both the parents are working. They would step out for work early in the morning and return by 6 pm. In the meantime, the accused would touch them inappropriately… The girls have alleged that the man would abruptly hug them and touch their private parts. The girls never spoke about this to anyone,” said an officer.

The 17-year-old girl alleged that two years ago, when she was alone at home, the stepbrother forcefully raped her. “With her parents off to work and her younger sister in school, the 17-year-old complainant said that her stepbrother suddenly overpowered her, removed her clothes and raped her. He went on to give her death threats if she told anyone about the incident,” said police.

The 15-year-old younger sister was sexually assaulted twice the same year. “The second victim said that in June, when she was alone at home, the accused had forced himself on her. She was also sexually assaulted on August 16 and was threatened like her sister,” police said. The police said the two girls did not even discuss their ordeal among themselves till an NGO visited their locality.

A senior officer said, “A local NGO had organised an event in their area. They were informing children about good touch and bad touch, when the 15-year-old girl opened up about her ordeal.” Subsequently, her elder sister also narrated her experience. “The NGO then forwarded the information to us, and we sent our personnel and recorded their statements. A case was registered and the accused was arrested,” said Senior Inspector Manoj Haidre.

The police said the stepbrother has been booked under sections 376 (rape), 354 (outraging the modesty of a woman) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC along with sections under POCSO Act. The police said that they are trying to ascertain whether the man has sexually assaulted any more girls from the vicinity.