13-year-old Powai boy raped by three men dies

Mumbai: A 13-year-old boy, who was allegedly sodomised by three men on July 6 at Powai in Andheri east, after which he consumed rat poison on July 12, died early Tuesday. He had been admitted in the civic-run KEM hospital.

The cops suspect that the victim’s 10-year-old friend, who had committed suicide on July 12 by consuming poison, may have been sodomised by the same men.

The accused had threatened the victims that they would kill their family members if they reported the crime to them or the police, said police sources.

While both the boys drank poison without informing their parents about the crime, the 13-year-old did reveal about the rape when he was admitted to hospital after consuming poison. The accused had intercepted the boys while they were on their way to attend tuition classes in their locality.

The police has exhumed the body of the 10-year-old to conduct medical tests and perform a post-mortem. The boy’s family had earlier refused the post-mortem procedure, saying that he had died due to dehydration.

However, Dr Sunil Kadam, ex-forensic expert at the state-run JJ Hospital, said post-mortem of the 10-year-old boy’s body might not be helpful. “The result of the sodomy test depends on the amount of decomposition of the body, as it was buried almost two weeks ago. The post-mortem report might not be able to prove anything, if the body was not medicated with the preserving chemicals, and the result might not be fruitful at all,” Dr Kadam said.

On the other hand, the police has questioned 50 persons so far in the case but has not been able to zero in on the men who allegedly sodomised the two boys.

Sources at Powai police station said that three men allegedly sodomised the two boys on July 6. The incident came to light six days later when the 13-year-old boy started vomiting, after which he was rushed to the hospital, revealing that he had consumed poison. The boy was in need of a liver transplant, but died at 4.30 am on Tuesday morning.

When enquired with him during his course of treatment, he told his mother that three men had sodomised him and his friend, and had also threatened to kill them if they discussed the incident with anybody. He said they had consumed poison out of fear.

Deputy commissioner of police, zone 10, Navinchandra Reddy, said, “Apparently, we have received an tip-off that the boys were lured with a cold drink, but no shopkeeper has recollected of selling the cold-drink to anyone who could have drugged them on July 6.”

The Powai police has registered a case of sodomy under section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (Unnatural offences), read with relevant sections of the POCSO Act.