Nagpur Rape Accused Lands In ICU, Alleges Custodial Torture; Police Claim Self-Harm In Lock-up

Nagpur: The accused in the 16-year-old girl's sexual assault case by a 20-year-old was rushed to the Government Medical College and Hospital after complaining of severe chest pain and multiple injuries.

The accused, Nirmay Madhav Pakhare from Thane,was arrested late Monday for keeping the teenage daughter of a senior govt official in captivity for 24 hours and subjecting her to sexual torture.

The Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) student was swiftly moved from his dingy 8ftx8ft lock-up of Hudkeshwar police station to the air-conditioned ICU of Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) trauma centre early Thursday.

Pakhare’s lawyer alleges custodial torture

Pakhare’s lawyer, advocate Prakash Jaiswal, claimed his client suffered injuries to his eyes, chest and other parts of his body due to assault in police custody. “The seriousness of his condition can be gauged from the fact that he has been admitted to the ICU (intensive care unit). He somehow survived and we are worried about his health,” Jaiswal said as qouted by Hindustan Times.

Police claim "self-harm"

However, investigators probing the case denied allegations of custodial torture, claiming they were a ploy to derail the investigation and mount a false defence, adding that Pakhare had attempted to harm himself while in custody.

They also claimed that the accused was an unusually difficult and defiant suspect, and he had refused to cooperate with the investigation while demanding special facilities in police custody.

Soon after being admitted to the hospital on Thursday, a local court remanded Pakhare to 14 days in judicial custody, ending his two-day police custody.

Background of accused and victim

The accused is the son of a prominent doctor couple from Thane and the nephew of a senior IPS officer, while the victim is the daughter of a well-placed revenue officer. The duo had met in May last year on Instagram, where Pakhare was active under a fake identity.

Earlier on Thursday, Jaiswal before the local Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act court on Thursday argued that the case did not amount to kidnapping or rape, as the minor girl had invited Pakhare to Nagpur on Friendship Day (August 2) and threatened to end her life if he did not meet her.

“They were in a relationship. The girl was unwilling to return home because she was allegedly subjected to constant harassment and physical abuse by her father,” Jaiswal contended.