A 70-year-old tailor accused of drugging and impregnating a 17-year-old who worked at his shop, was denied bail by a special court while noting that the forensic report showed he was the biological father of the aborted foetus.
The man’s two previous bail pleas had also been rejected by the court. He had claimed in his present bail application that he was falsely implicated and that the girl had relations with a youth against whom she had lodged a rape complaint. He further stated that he is a senior citizen and ready to abide by the court’s conditions while granting the relief.
The court said in its order that while this bail plea was pending, the chemical analysis report was called, which showed that he was the biological father of the aborted foetus. It declined to consider his age, noting that the allegations against him are serious. Regarding his argument that the victim had lodged a report against another person too, it said this cannot be a reason to grant him bail.
The incident had come to light when the minor had fallen ill due to the pregnancy. As per the complaint lodged at Chembur police station, she had started working at the man’s shop four months after her boyfriend had raped her and she had lodged a complaint against the youth. The senior citizen, whom she called ‘master’, would share his lunch box with her. Before doing that, he would ask her to fetch water. She had found herself waking up from sleep at the shop after many hours and finding her thighs wet. She did not suspect anything until she fell ill and the doctor told her she could be pregnant. She was admitted in hospital and the foetus aborted. It was then that she reported the man.
