Mumbai Crime: Man rapes 13-year-old daughter for 2 years; held

A man was arrested in Mumbai for allegedly repeatedly raping his minor daughter the police told PTI According to the PTI report the man who resides in Govandi has been allegedly raping his 13yearold daughter for over two yearsThe police further told the news agency that based on the complaint filed by the minors mother the police on Saturday arrested the accused under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code IPC and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences POCSO ActReportedly the mother learnt about the abuse after she grew suspicious of her husbands behaviour and spoke to her daughter about it The minor during the conversation has revealed that her father had been sexually abusing her repeatedly for two yearsReportedly earlier in July a special POCSO court in the city sentenced a man to 20 years in jail for sexually assaulting his 13yearold daughter Meanwhile the girls mother was sentenced to a sixmonth term for not reporting the crime Reportedly the special judge Shrikant Y Bhosale had convicted the man under the Indian Penal Codeand Protection of Children from Sexual Offences POCSO Act for raping the minor PTI reportedReportedly in June 2018 the girls father sexually assaulted her at their home in Bihar the familys native place in the mothers presence and established sexual relationships simultaneously with the survivor and her motherThe man tried to sexually abuse the daughter at their home in a Mumbai suburb in August 2019 The survivor resisted his advances but he silenced her by covering her mouth with his hand according to the prosecutionThe girl was released by the man when her mother who was sleeping next to her woke up The survivor subsequently sought help from a neighbour and recounted her ordeal A case was registered at the Kasturba Marg police station in the Borivali area stated the report in PTIThe prosecution had charged the father with offences under IPC sections 376 rape and 377 unnatural offence as well as under the POCSO Act It also alleged that the mother had abetted the crime and charged her under IPC Section 114 pertaining to abettors and Section 34 common intentionWhile the court found the man guilty of rape and unnatural offence it determined that the prosecution had not established that the girls mother had abetted her husband in committing the offence or shared common intention The court noted that based on the evidence provided by the girl her mother was aware of the crime but did not report it to the policeThe special judge observed that while a person may be fearful at a particular moment continuous fear for an extended period cannot be assumed The court also pointed out that the first instance of sexual assault by the girls father was believed to have occurred around 2018 However the mother did not report the incident to the police either in Bihar or Mumbai as per the judges findings The court held the mother guilty of an offence punishable under section 21 of the POCSO Act and sentenced her to six months in jailWith PTI inputs