Youth held for raping minor girl

A 19-year-old youth has been arrested for the alleged kidnapping and rape of his 16-year-old girlfriend who had fled her residence in Antop Hill area after an argument with her mother.

According to the Antop Hill police of Central Mumbai, the accused, identified as Algesh alias Abu Shankar Devendra, is a resident of Vile Parle. He was in a relationship with the 16-year-old minor and had promised to marry her once she turns 18. The minor, who is a class 10 student, lives in Antop Hill area with her parents and a brother.

On November 20, the girl’s mother had scolded and beaten her after she arrived home late from school, the police said.

This had enraged the victim who fled from her house the next day and reached Vile Parle. Her mother approached the Antop Hill police station the same day and filed a missing person’s complaint.

The police said the girl had called up her boyfriend Abu after leaving home. “Instead of informing her parents that their minor daughter is safe and would return home, Abu took her and kept moving around in the city evading us and her mother for two days,” said a police officer from Antop Hill police.

“On November 24, when Abu’s family members were not at home, he took her there and raped her. As she is a minor, by law, we had to register a kidnapping case,” added the officer, who did not want to be named. While the police continued its investigation into the case, the couple surrendered before the police on November 27.