Woman constable's husband held for raping minor girl

Thane: The husband of a police constable attached to Naupada police station here was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly raping a minor girl who worked at their house as a domestic help, police said.

Jaipal Govind Pardeshi, 28, who works at a security agency, was nabbed today on charges of raping the 14-year-old girl who was working as a domestic help at his house in New Police Quarters area, Assistant Police Inspector S A Waidande of Thane Nagar Police station said.

According to the complaint lodged by the girl, she was introduced to the constable, posted at Naupada police station, by her grandmother who did cleaning errand at the police station.

She took the girl to the police station on few occasions where she did some petty works. The woman constable also used to teach the girl, and she soon began working as domestic help at the former's residence and also did baby-sitting, he said.

The constable in return funded the girl's education who studied in class VI at a nearby school.

On October 24, when the constable had gone for night duty, her husband allegedly raped the girl, Waidande said, adding, he repeated the crime on Monday.

According to the girl's complaint, the accused also threatened her against speaking about the incident.

The victim, however, mustered courage to narrate her ordeal to her friends in the colony who informed about it to their parents.

Later, some women of the neighbourhood took the girl to police station and a case was registered.

The accused has been booked under IPC section 376 (2) (f) - rape on a woman when she is under 12 years of age - and relevant sections of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), police said.