22-year-old woman raped, forced to abort

Rajkot: A man was booked on Monday for allegedly raping and impregnating a 22-year-old Dalit woman whose foetus he allegedly got aborted about a month ago in Jamjodhpur of Jamnagar district.
The accused was identified as Vasant Thakor, a resident of Ajol village of Gandhinagar district. Apart from Thakor, the survivor has named 19 others as co-accused in the case, including a doctor who had helped terminate the pregnancy.

According to the survivor’s complaint, she was introduced to Thakor by her relatives — Vijay Bagada, Hasmukh Dahya and his wife Jyotsana Dahya, who enticed her into having a relationship with Thakor with the lure of money, one year ago.

Thakor, who was already married, entered into a Maitri Karar (friendship contract) with the survivor and took her to Ajol and Sargasana villages of Gandhinagar where he had physical relations with her. The survivor alleged that she was raped several times in the past one year, and after she became pregnant, Thakor got her foetus aborted at the clinic of one Dr Viral against her wishes.

“Then Thakor allegedly forced her to sign the cancellation papers of Maitri Karar, beat her up, and left her in the lurch, following which the survivor lodged the complaint,” said M L Jadeja, assistant sub-inspector with Jamjodhpur police station.

Apart from Bagada, Hasmukh, his wife Jyotsana and Dr Viral, the survivor has named 15 others as co-accused in the case who allegedly helped Thakor in the crime.

“We have booked the accused, including Thakor, under various sections of Indian Penal Code dealing with rape, issuing threats, physical assault, abetting the crime and under Atrocity Act as the survivor is a Dalit,” added Jadeja.