Mumbai Crime: Man rapes 16-year-old, says they are 'married in the mind'

A 49yearold man was arrested on Tuesday night for impregnating his friendrsquos 16yearold daughter The man had come to Panvel in 2014 after spending 22 years in Kuwait and used to visit the victimrsquos home as a lsquoclose family friendrsquo as per reports by Hindustan TimesRepresentational ImageAs per the police the man befriended the girl a class XI student during his visits and won her confidence police inspector Deepak Domb from Panvel City police station said ldquoHe convinced her that he loved her and wanted to marry her She fell for his trick and agreed to marry himrdquoThe accused said that on July 22 he married her As per Deepak Domb ldquoThere were no rituals or legal procedures as he made her believe that accepting the marriage in mind is important and that they have got married She continued to stay with her parents rdquoFurther on September 27 the victim left for college as usual but the accused had her elope with him When the girl didnrsquot return home her parents filed a police complaintPolice inspector Deepak Domb said ldquoThis lsquoclose family friendrsquo had not been seen since the day the girl went missing We registered a case of kidnapping After more than a month and a half we traced the accused and the victim to Taloja where the accused had rented out a flat and the duo were staying togetherrdquoWhen the girl was found she was 11 weeks pregnant The police said ldquoAfter counselling the girl realised how the accused had taken the advantage of her vulnerability The family will decide on terminating the pregnancyrdquoThe accused has been booked under section Sections 376 and 363 of the IPC and the Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences Act As per the police the man is divorced and has a 15yearold daughter who lives with her mother since 2014When the parents of the accused informed the manrsquos estranged wife about his arrest she said ldquoWe have not been in touch since 2014 and I have nothing to comment I and my daughter are happily staying without himrdquoThe police added ldquoHis parents who survive on the monthly pension were shocked to know of their son eloping with a girl of his daughterrsquos agerdquoAlso view Photos 10 unsolved murders in Mumbai