22-year-old held for raping minor at knifepoint

Mumbai: The police on Saturday arrested a 22-year-old man for allegedly raping a minor at knifepoint in Bandra. Sher Ali Yasin Sheikh had allegedly entered the house of the 10-year-old girl on September 10, when the latter was alone, and raped her after threatening her with a knife, said a Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) police station official.  

The police said that a near perfect description of the accused by the victim, coupled with human intelligence, enabled them to arrest the accused. The victim’s mother filed a complaint after the incident, following which four teams were made to nab Sheikh. Acting on a tip-off, the police laid a trap and arrested Sheikh from Tata Colony in Bandra’s Bharatnagar area on Friday night, the official said. A gold chain he had stolen from the victim’s house has been recovered, the police said. Sheikh has been charged with rape, robbery and house trespass under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.

According to the BKC police, Sheikh was in a jail for almost one year after the Kherwadi police arrested him in a robbery case. He was released on bail only on September 1, nine days before he committed the next robbery.

Deputy commissioner of police Anil Kumbhar said, “Sheikh entered the victim’s house when she was alone at home. He threatened her at knifepoint and made away with Rs 15,000 in cash and some gold jewellery, including a chain.”

Officers said that after Sheikh left, the victim started screaming for help and was heard by some neighbours, who rushed to her aid and informed her parents, who rushed back home. The next day, girl’s parents approached the police. During the initial inquiry by the police, the victim told them that she was also sexually abused.

Based on the description, the police drew up a list of repeat offenders matching the description and zeroed in on Sheikh. The police then started inquiries with local informants and finally picked him up from Bharat Nagar.