THANE: Two men, aged 23 and 24, have been arrested in separate cases of alleged rape of 16-year-old girls in Dombivli, with both incidents coming to light only after the victims were found to be pregnant, police said.
In the first case, registered with Manpada police station, a 23-year-old man, a painter, allegedly raped a 16-year-old girl and later fled to Uttar Pradesh to evade arrest. The case surfaced a week ago after the victim’s family discovered that she was pregnant and approached the police.
The accused, who belongs to the same village as the victim, used to reside with the victim’s family before fleeing back to his village. Police traced the accused to Uttar Pradesh using technical surveillance and intelligence inputs, arrested him and brought him back to Dombivli. He was later remanded to police custody.
In the second incident, under the jurisdiction of Ramnagar police station, a 24-year-old videographer and video editor was arrested after the family of another 16-year-old girl lodged a complaint on Saturday evening. Police said the case also came to light after the victim became pregnant.
Senior police inspector Ganesh Juwadwad of Ramnagar police station said the accused and the victim attended the same classes and had known each other for the past two years. “Taking advantage of this acquaintance, Saroj allegedly lured the minor into a trap and sexually assaulted her repeatedly,” he said.
The accused was produced before a local court, which remanded him to police custody till May 21.
Both the accused were booked under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Reacting to the incidents, local MLA Rajesh More said cases involving sexual assault on minor girls should be tried in fast-track courts. “I have requested chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and deputy chief ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar to fast-track these cases on priority and ensure that the accused are handed down maximum sentences, to send a stern message,” More said.
Neelam Gorhe, Shiv Sena MLC, visited Kalyan on Monday and instructed the local GRP and the police to install flood or search lights and CCTVs across the outside areas of Kalyan station especially the yard because the criminals after committing crimes inside the railway station premises flee from these areas as taking the benefits of no fensing and dark.
She also said that despite increasing crimes against children under POCSO, out of the approved 140 POCOS courts in the state at present only 38 are in operation which delays the justice to these victims.
“There should be POCSO courts in each district. As there are delays in the justice to these victims public demands encounter of the accused,” she said.
