On Monday, the Ahmednagar District Police arrested a person identified as Ajmoddin Mohammed Sheikh (28) for luring a 17-year-old girl into a love affair and then assaulting her sexually several times in past year. The Police have registered an FIR against the accused under IPC sections 376 (2) (n), 506 and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POSCO) sections 5 (j) (2), 5 (l) and 6.
According to the FIR copy obtained by OpIndia, the incident is said to have happened in Bambori village in Rahuri, Ahmednagar in March 2022. However, the FIR was filed by the father of the victim on December 17. The father in the complaint stated that his minor daughter was lured by Ajmoddin Mohammed Sheikh, a resident of Katrad, Rahuri into a love affair. “The accused told my daughter that he was in love with her and that he would marry her. He then raped my daughter several times on the farmland which is located behind our house,” the father said.
He said that he came to know about the incident on December 15 when his daughter complained of stomach ache. He took her to the doctor who told him that his daughter was pregnant and that she needed to be operated on immediately. As per the FIR copy, the girl delivered a baby girl at Aher Hospital, Rahuri and upon interrogation revealed that she was raped by Sheikh a few months ago.
The girl stated in the complaint that she was first contacted by the accused over phone. She said that she was called by Sheikh to meet in person in March on the farm behind the victim’s house. “We met that day. He told me that he loved me and that he wanted to marry me. And after some time he forced himself upon me. I kept on refusing but he assaulted me and threatened me to keep shut,” the girl said.
She added that he called her twice after that day to meet on the farm and again raped her. “In May, I discovered that I was pregnant. Ajmoddin asked me to operate myself after I informed him about the pregnancy. He also threatened me that he would defame me and my family in the village if I speak the truth out,” she said.
The father of the girl meanwhile stated that his daughter was scared back then so could not report the incident. “I have sent my daughter to her uncle’s house in Talegaon Dabhade. She is being taken care of there,” he added. As per the FIR copy, the girl was 17 years old when the incident happened, however, she turned 18 at the time of filing the FIR.
According to the local reports, SI Sandeep Matke and Inspector Pratap Darade of Rahuri Police took cognizance of the incident and initiated immediate action against the 28-year-old accused. The Police arrested the accused on December 19, two days after the FIR was filed.
Earlier, a similar incident was reported from Patan town of Satara district, Maharashtra after the Maharashtra Police arrested an individual named Saif Ali Saleem for raping a 14-year-old Hindu Adivasi girl. The accused sexually assaulted the victim twice in the year and shot videos on his phone.
In the current case, the accused has been arrested and has been booked by the Police under IPC sections 376 (2) (n), 506 and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POSCO) sections 5 (j) (2), 5 (l) and 6. Further investigations in the case are underway.
