Mumbai: Sakinaka rape victim dies at hospital

This picture has been used for representational purpose

The 32-year-old woman, who was raped and assaulted inside a parked tempo in Sakinaka in the early hours of Friday, died while being treated at the Rajawadi Hospital on Saturday. The Sakinaka police has arrested a 50-year-old man in connection with the incident. The accused allegedly stabbed the woman's private parts, which led to her death, the police said.

The accused, identified as Mohan Chauhan, is a resident of Sakinaka, and worked as driver, but lost his job during the pandemic-induced lockdown. The deceased woman's family said that she was forced to live on the road, after her home was demolished due to a road cutting project. She is survived by two children, aged 13 and 7, who live with her mother.

Police sources told mid-day that the accused has confessed to the crime, and claimed that he was under the influence of alcohol, when he allegedly attacked her.

According to the police officials, the incident occurred around 3 am on Friday at Khairani Road, Sakinaka. The woman was getting ready to sleep, when Chauhan accosted her and took her into parked tempo, where he allegedly raped her. He later removed a knife and stabbed her private parts multiple times. The accused then left the woman inside the tempo and fled from the spot.

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The incident occurred outside a paper garbage store. A security guard posted there heard the cries of the woman, and rushed to the tempo, only to find her lying in a pool of blood. He immediately informed the police.

The Sakinaka police rushed the woman to Rajawadi Hospital, where she later succumbed to her injuries. Her body has been sent to JJ Hospital, where a team of five doctors will be carrying out a post-mortem.

Police sources said that Chauhan is a habitual offender and has harassed many people in the area.

Speaking with mid-day, the deceased woman's mother said, "On Thursday evening, she came home and met her two kids and spent time with them. She left home by 9 pm."

Meanwhile, a special team, headed by ACP Jyotsna Rasam, has been appointed to investigate the rape and murder, Mumbai Police Commissioner Hemant Nagrale informed in a press briefing on Saturday. The investigation so far has confirmed that there is only one accused involved in the case.

Chauhan is a resident of Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh. He was identified with the help of the CCTV footage from the area, and was nabbed while he was attempting to escape for his native place. The police produced the accused at the Bandra court, and he will be in police custody till September 21.

"The matter is very sensitive. A chargesheet will be filed at the earliest. Due to the death of the woman, section 302 of IPC has been added in this case. We are still investigating the reason behind the incident," Nagrale said.

Meanwhile, CM Uddhav Thackeray's office vowed strictest punishment for the accused. "This incident is highly condemnable... it shames humanity. The accused will be given the harshest possible punishment and a fast-track court will handle the trial," the CMO's statement said.