Mumbai: Mohammed Jaleel Khaleel (33), the Uber driver who allegedly raped a 15 year-old mentally challenged girl in his cab, has been remanded to judicial custody. The horror took place in the Uber cab on March 28. The special POCSO court has remanded Khaleel to judicial custody till April 19.
As per the case registered with Dadar police station, the victim and her mother, who was also mentally challenged, were being looked after by a good samaritan in her house. The mother died some time ago and her daughter was in the care of the guardian woman.
On March 28, the guardian had to leave for Shirdi, so she asked her neighbour to look after the girl. That evening the victim watched television for some time after which she stepped out on the pavement. At this momen, Khaleel spotted her and volunteered to take her for a ride. The unsuspecting victim fell for this offer and got into the cab. When the vehicle reached Dadar bridge, Khaleel allegedly raped her brutally in the back seat of the cab and also sodomised her.
The accused later dropped her at the same spot from where he picked her up and even shared his mobile number and asked her to call him if she needed anything.
Meanwhile, the family with whom the girl was staying started looking for her frantically around the house. It was informed by a woman selling eggs near by that she saw the girl getting into an Uber cab. When the girl returned she was in great pain and in an extremely inappropriate condition. The family promptly informed the police and got an FIR registered against Khaleel.
Later, on the basis of the number given by the accused to the girl and CCTV footage the accused was tracked down and arrested from his residence in Wadala. Woman activist Dr Avisha Kulkarni has demanded that the case be heard by a fast track court and strictest possible punishment be meted out to the accused.
