Mumbai: Parksite police have arrested two brothers – a 22-year-old man and an 18-year-old teenager – for allegedly raping their 13-year-old cousin repeatedly and impregnating her.
The girl lives with her parents in a society in Vikhroli, police said. The father and mother hold multiple jobs and the cousins, also residents of Vikhroli, frequently visited the house to give her company, officials said.
Parents under impression the cousins shared family bond
The parents were under the impression that the trio shared a family bond, and were comfortable with them (the cousins) visiting the house in their absence, the officials said.
On December 31 the girl’s mother noticed that her stomach appeared bigger than normal. When asked her about it, the girl did not respond, so the mother decided to take her to the hospital. Doctors there informed the family that the girl was 23 weeks pregnant, the officials said.
Cousins showed porn and obscene photos before raping victim
The police recorded the statements of the girl and her parents and registered an FIR against the two men. In her statement, the girl said the 18-year-old cousin raped her first, in May. The second accused, aged 22, started raping her in August. The girl said the two would show her pornographic videos and pictures before raping/sexually molesting her.
She said she was repeatedly raped by the second accused, and sexually molested multiple times by the first.
Both culprits arrested; charges filed
The girl’s medical report will be used as evidence in the charge sheet, the police said. The second accused was arrested on the same day (Sunday December 31) while his teenaged brother was held on Monday. The former is currently in judicial custody, while the other is in police custody.
Both brothers have been slapped with charges including 376 (2) (n) (commits rape repeatedly on the same woman), 376 (DA) (gang rape on woman under the age of 16), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354 (a) (sexual harassment) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code; and sections 5 (L) (penetrative sexual assault on a child more than once or repeatedly), 5 (g) (gang penetrative sexual assault), 6 (aggravated penetrative sexual assault), 11 (3) (shows any object to a child in any form or media for pornographic purposes) and 12 (sexual harassment) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
