Mumbai:
High drama unfolded at the Saki Naka police station on Tuesday where the 12-year-old girl raped by nine men - her cousin Dhaval Bapat, his friends and neighbours, including a 71-year-old man - identified some of the accused. (
Read: 12-year-old raped, blackmailed with MMS)
When four of the nine alleged rapists now in police custody - Premchand Pandit (35), Jamnaprasad Sharma (71), Jitendra Yadav (25) and Vinod Yadav (27) were made to stand in front of the girl, she broke down. Pointing to Jamnaprasad she said, "This man raped me 41 times over the past one year."
However, Jamnaprasad, who runs a shop opposite the chawl where she lives, claimed he was innocent. "I'm impotent so there is no question of raping her. The police can conduct a medical test if they want to," he said.
The girl, who lived with her aunt Jyotsna since she was eight months old after her parents were separated, told the police, "After my aunt left the house, Dhaval would force himself upon me. He raped me more than Jamnaprasad did; he raped me almost every day over the past year and a half."
The girl was first raped in August 2008 by Dhaval at knifepoint and the ordeal continued till a relative learnt about it a few days back.
Meanwhile, Dhaval's mother Jyotsna is cooperating with the police to nab Dhaval, who is absconding. "My son is the main culprit and he had ruined my niece's life. I want him to be punished," she told MiD DAY.
On the other hand, Jamnaprasad's daughter Maya defended him saying, "My father is innocent. He loves children and even people from the locality call him dad. He can't do anything as such. Moreover, he is a heart patient too." R Dhanedar, senior police inspector, Saki Naka police station, said, "The minor was allegedly raped repeatedly since August 2008, when she was alone at home with Dhaval. Later others also raped her." Five more accused are wanted in the case, including Dhaval.