Mumbai: A 64-year-old woman was found naked, unconscious with bruised marks all over her body on Tuesday early morning in the Maharashtra Nagar area of Mankhurd, located in the eastern suburbs of the city.
Accused offered to drop victim home in an autorickshaw
The victim, a resident of Mahul village, was on her way to her house on Monday night when the accused, named Umesh Dhok, 38, met her. He was inside an autorickshaw and offered to drop it near her house as well.
Accused and victim knew each other
They lived close by, said the police, and knew each other, which is why she agreed to it. However, as their auto reached his house, he got off the auto and asked her to get down as well. He allegedly took her to his house by giving some excuse, and as they entered the house, he trapped her.
In the statement given to the police, the victim said that she was repeatedly raped by the accused. When she tried to refrain, he started hitting and abusing her. She also added that she was hit by the man on her private parts with a bamboo stick.
Passerby and a woman alerted police
At around 5 pm on Tuesday, she was thrown out of the house by the accused. Some of the passersby who were returning from night shift work noticed the aggrieved woman lying helpless, without clothes. A random woman immediately rushed to her house and got a gown which she gave to the victim.
They alerted the police and several teams of police reached the spot. The woman was taken to Rajawadi Hospital, under critical care. As she gained consciousness, her statement was recorded by the police, and subsequently, a case was registered against the accused.
Victim was assaulted
The police added that the woman's face was in a bad condition due to the assault.
Based on the description provided by the victim, a team was sent to locate and nab the accused, along with the help of the locals, the police said, adding that Dhok immediately confessed to the crime, yet the motive is unclear.
The accused has previous crime cases against him
During the interrogation, police found out that Dhok had a previous record of crime. In 2017, Dhok was arrested by the Mankhurd police for allegedly assaulting and sexually harassing a minor girl.
He was charged and convicted under sections 354 (assault or criminal force against a woman), 354 (a) (sexual harassment), 354 (b) (assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe), 506 (2) (death threat), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the Indian Penal Code and sections of sexual assault, sexual harassment under the Protection of Children Against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Accused slapped with charges
In the case, Dhok has been slapped with charges under section 376 (rape), 376 (2) (n) (repeated rape on the same woman), 325 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) of the Indian Penal Code.
At this point, it's not clear if Dhok was tagged along with someone else, the police said. However, he will be further interrogated to know about the chain of events and the motive behind the crime. Meanwhile, the victim, a widow, sold fish in a local market at Mankhurd and lived with her daughter at an apartment in Mahul Village, Chembur.
