2 Mumbai cabbies rape minor on job pretext, 1 arrested

MUMBAI: The city police arrested a 28-year-old taxi driver on Monday and are on the lookout for another cabbie for allegedly raping a minor inmate of a women's shelter who had fled a hospital where she was undergoing treatment.
The girl, who is one month short of her 16th birthday, reportedly met the two at CSMT and they promised to help her get a job. The incident took place on October 22.
The teen, who had threatened to commit suicide at the shelter, was admitted to Nair hospital on October 17 after she fell ill. On October 21 morning, she fled. The teen told the police that she took a train from Mahalaxmi, went to Bandra and roamed about the place. The next morning, she came to CSMT's platform 18, which is for outstation trains. She approached two taxi drivers and told them that she was looking for a job. Promising help, they took her to a lodge and raped her, police said.
'Minor moved to shelter after sex assault in July'
Two taxi drivers at CSMT station promised a job to a teen who had run away from a shelter, took her to a lodge and raped her on October 22. At around 12 noon the same day, they dropped her back near the station. She went back to the shelter, where she has been staying and informed the authorities about the sexual abuse.
The caretaker of the home lodged an FIR at Agripada police station and the case was transferred to MRA Marg police station. "One driver has been arrested and remanded in police custody till October 29," senior inspector Rajesh Pawar said, adding that police were gathering CCTV footage as part of the probe.
Incidentally, the girl was earlier living with her family. She was allegedly sexually assaulted in July this year and a case of rape was filed. During the probe, the child welfare committee instructed that the girl be moved to a shelter home, sources said.
Meanwhile, the accused in the October 22 rape have been booked under sections 376 (punishment for rape), 376 D (rape by one or more persons) and 363 (punishment for kidnapping) of the IPC and Pocso Act.
(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme court directives on cases related to sexual assault)