Mumbai: A day after a 24-year-old youth jumped off the 10th floor of a building at Malad (E) after allegedly stabbing his 17-year-old girlfriend, Kurar Police have booked the deceased youth, Mangesh Rane, 24, for attempt to murder and sexual abuse charges under Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) Act. Police said, when they found the girl, she was naked. Kurar Police have sent swab samples from Rane and the teen to ascertain if she was raped.
Police said, the teen was found naked on the bed with stab wounds on Monday afternoon. She was immediately rushed to the hospital and underwent surgery. Meanwhile, based on the First Information Report filed by the teen's mother, police booked Rane under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code for attempt to murder (section 307), outraging modesty of a woman (section 354) and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) act. Moreover, Rane was also booked for suicide attempt (section 309) of the IPC.
Earlier, police were under the impression that the teenager was above 18 years of age, but questioning of her mother revealed the girl was a minor. Based on this revelation, Rane was booked under the POCSO Act, regardless of whether the sex was consensual, said police. Police have sent swab samples from the teen and Rane to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) at Kalina for analysis to find out if the teen had been raped.
Police, however, are yet to ascertain if this was an attempt to murder or a suicide pact between the couple. "We have not recorded the teen's statement as she is unconscious after surgery. If the teen denies being stabbed by Rane and that there was a suicide pact, we will revoke the attempt to murder charges levelled against him," said Balasaheb Salunkhe, senior inspector, Kurar police station.
The teen's mother said, she knew the couple was dating and everything was fine, until Rane proposed marriage. The teen rejected his proposal but Rane kept coming to her house claiming he could not live without her. This may have caused them to break up, police suspect.
On Monday afternoon, when the teen was alone in the house, Rane stopped by and a heated argument is alleged to have broken out between the two. Shortly after that, Rane is suspected to have stabbed the girl in the stomach multiple times and then slashed his wrists. Soon after, he jumped off the 10th floor balcony. "The couple allegedly had a fight minutes before Rane stabbed the teen, slit his wrists and jumped to death. The reason for the heated argument is yet to be established," added senior police inspector Salunkhe.
