HIV-infected girl alleges rape, forced abortion at Latur children's home; 4 arrested

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- India
Four persons were arrested on Friday on the complaint of an HIV-infected girl that she was raped over a period of two years at a children's shelter in Maharashtra's Latur district and forced to undergo an abortion when she got pregnant, a police official said.
As per the complaint filed by the girl in Dhoki police station in her native Dharashiv district, the incidents took place between July 13, 2023 and July 23 this year at Sevalay, a home for HIV-infected children in Hasegaon here, the official said.
"As per her complaint, the child was at the institution for the past two years. She was allegedly raped by an employee of the children's home four times. He also threatened her to not disclose the ordeal to anyone. The institution's management did not help her and even tore up a letter she had marked for officials and had dropped into a complaint box," he said.
After she fell ill, she was taken to a hospital where tests revealed she was four months pregnant, following which the accused got a doctor to perform an abortion procedure without her consent, the official added.
Six persons were booked by Dhoki police, including the founder and superintendent of the institution, the employee who raped her and the doctor who performed the abortion procedure, the official said.
After the case was transferred to Ausa police station, in whose jurisdiction the alleged incidents took place, four persons were arrested, Latur Superintendent of Police Amol Tambe said.
He identified the four as Sevalay founder Ravi Bapatle, its superintendent Rachna Bapatle, employees Amit Mahamuni and Pooja Waghmare.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)