Mumbai Crime: 20-month-old girl raped in Worli, 35-year-old neighbour arrested

Mumbai: A 20-month-old baby was allegedly raped by a 35-year-old man in Worli. The police said the suspect had tried to insert his fingers in the child's private parts, which was noticed by the doctor who examined her when the parents took her to a hospital as she wouldn't stop crying. The suspect already has a previous case registered at Worli police station in 2019 for molesting a 16-year-old.

According to the police, the parents of the child noticed that she had been crying and seemed unwell, but were unable to understand the reason for this. They later took her to a hospital where the doctor examined her and noticed wounds near her private areas caused by penetration of a small object the size of a finger. At this point, the parents realised that their neighbour had taken the child to his house on the pretext of feeding her something and locked the door.

The parents then approached the Worli police station on Sunday and registered a case against their neighbour. The police arrested him from his residence within two hours after the complaint was registered. The police suspect that the crime took place between Dec 5, 2022, and Jan 19.

“The suspect and the victim's family were acquainted and he often came to their house to play with the child. Around a week ago, the parents noticed that the child was crying constantly. We suspect that he tried to insert his finger into the child's private parts. To prove the facts, she was sent for a detailed medical examination on Sunday,” said a police officer.

Meanwhile, the suspect has been booked under sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and section 376 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).