8-year old raped by six Pune boys for 5 months

Pune: An eight-year-old girl was allegedly raped by six neighbourhood boys since August in Pune’s Kondhwa area. The accused include five minors and one 19-year-old. After the FIR was lodged by the girl’s family, the police arrested the teenager and took the other minors in custody. The victim’s parents are daily-wage labourers.

Police sub inspector S.P. Gore of Kondhwa police station said that the victim’s 51-year-old grandmother had lodged an FIR against the accused.

“Mustafa Abdul Rajaq Mujawar (19) and five other minor boys had been sexually abusing  her granddaughter. As per the complaint, the five accused minor boys are aged between six and 12 years,” Mr Gore said. He added that a neighbour had informed the victim’s grandmother about the boys harassing the victim but she had initially ignored it. The issue came to light when the girl developed rashes on her private parts and fell sick repeatedly. “The doctor expressed his concern to the grandmother that the girl is possibly being sexually assaulted,” he said.

When the old lady asked her grandchild about the sexual abuse, the girl initially refused to say anything.

“But when she was assured that nobody would scold her, she revealed her ordeal. The accused boys would take her to terrace or somebody’s home and rape her. This has been happening since August. They would offer her chocolate or threaten her. When the complainant told the incident to his son who is a construction labour, he confronted the accused. The accused accepted the charge. Later, the family lodged an FIR,” Mr Gore said. The police has booked all six accused under the Section 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The adult accused has been arrested and sent to police custody till December 28.

The Pune sessions court has sent the five minor boys to an observation home.