60-year-old held for repeatedly raping minor for 6 months

Mumbai: A 60-year-old security guard, working at a construction site in Sion, has been arrested for raping a minor. According to the police, the 17-year-old girl was repeatedly raped by the man, identified as Mukund Keshav Wagh, for the last six months but she remained quiet about the assault, fearing social stigma.

Speaking to mid-day, Senior Police Inspector Suhas Garud from Wadala TT police station said, “The accused, who is originally from Satara, was given a room at the construction site by the builder and the girl was Wagh’s domestic help.” According to the girl’s statement, the accused first forced himself on her when she was cleaning his room. He then raped her several times later. After the rape, he would threaten to kill her if she spoke to anyone of the incident. Garud added, “The girl did not tell any of her family members, as she was scared that her family’s reputation would be ruined. However, after some time, she started suffering from severe stomach ache and was taken to Sion Hospital. Doctors revealed that she was two months pregnant. “Officials from Sion Hospital informed us and we sent a team to the girl’s house. Initially she was not ready to speak to us, but we finally managed to convince her to file a complaint against Wagh. The team went to the construction site on December 26 and arrested the accused, who then confessed to his crime,” Garud told this correspondent. Wagh has been booked under Section 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code, along with relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012. He was produced in court and remanded to judicial custody.