Man held for raping 14-year-old orphan

Mumbai: The Rabale police has arrested a 45-year-old man for allegedly raping a 14-year-old orphan girl thrice last month when she was working at his wife’s beauty parlour. The girl had lost her parents a few months ago and had been employed at the parlour by the wife of the accused, Ramesh Tiwari, who works in a private firm.

Tiwari allegedly raped the girl at a time when his wife was away on an assignment, according to the police. The accused’s wife had taken in the girl at the parlour as an apprentice and was training her to become a beautician for the past few months, according to the police.

The accused had also warned the girl of dire consequences if she complained to anybody about the alleged rapes. A few days ago, the girl, who was in trauma as a result of her ordeal, shared her woes with a parlour customer, who then took her to the police to lodge a complaint.

According to police officers, a female resident of Rabale Talavli village visited the Rabale police station with the teenager, who narrated what had happened.

The police said, “The girl is from Ghansoli and she had lost her parents to a disease a few months ago. After their death, some relatives took her in and were helping her to come out of the shock of her parents’ death. One of her aunts later introduced her to a distant relative, who stays in Rabale and has her own beauty parlour. The relative employed the girl.”

The girl was recovering from her grief when the woman’s husband, Tiwari, who works in the small private company, met the former in the parlour and started chit-chatting with her everyday after coming home or before going to office.

“The girl used to call Tiwari her brother. One day, when his wife was out on an assignment, Tiwari made the close the parlour for some time and asked her to take rest, saying he would wait for some time in the parlour. Tiwari allegedly committed the crime when the girl was resting, after tying her mouth with his handkerchief. He had himself brought medicines for her to reduce her pain,” said an official.

Speaking about the case, ACP Dilip Mane said, “ We have arrested the accused after the woman approached us with her. We conducted a medical test on the girl, and it was clear that she had been raped. We have registered a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and sections of the Indian Penal Code.” The girl has now been shifted to a shelter home in Navi Mumbai.