17-year-old pregnant girl dies by suicide, boyfriend held

A 17-year-old pregnant girl, 12 days short of her birthday, committed suicide by jumping on railway tracks on Monday, Kurla GRP said on Wednesday.

The girl’s 23-year-old sister lodged an FIR against the victim’s boyfriend, also 17, on charges of rape and abetment to suicide. The boy was produced before a Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) on Tuesday and sent to the Dongri observation home.

The police said the victim, an HSC student, lived in a slum in central Mumbai. She used to support her family through a part-time job. Following her father’s death, the victim’s mother remarried and started staying separately. The victim used to stay with her grandmother, uncle, brother and elder sister.

On Monday, the victim left home early in the morning saying she was going for work and died by suicide around 9 am by jumping in front of a running train between Nahur and Mulund stations. Though the girl was not hit by the train, she died of head injuries due to the fall.

The GRP found her body and sent it for a post-mortem to a government hospital. Based on preliminary report, the girl was at least four to five months pregnant. The victim’s family, however, claimed that they were not aware of her pregnancy and thought due to “some health issues, her stomach had bloated”. No suicide note was found. The victim’s phone will be sent to forensic lab.

Her elder sister informed the police that two months ago, they found that the victim was having an affair with a minor boy, whom she reportedly met four years ago, from the neighbouring slum. She then told her to concentrate on her studies.

“Based on the allegations of her sister, on Tuesday a case of rape and abetment to suicide was registered against the boy. We have also added sections under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act as she is a minor. The accused was produced before the juvenile board,” said Senior Inspector of Kurla GRP Smita Dhakne.