Mumbai: man arrested for raping step-daughter

A 29 years old man has been arrested in suburban Malad for allegedly raping his minor step-daughter, police said today.
According to Malwani police here, a First Information Report was registered against Azeem Shaikh on June 17, after his 14 years old step-daughter accused him of raping her many times since February.
Shaikh absconded after the complaint was registered, but police arrested him last evening from his house.
The victim's mother had married Shaikh after her first husband died in an accident.
A few days ago, as the girl could not bear the sexual abuse any longer, she ran away to her uncle's residence, said inspector Ramakant Khandare.

When she refused to return home, there was a heated argument between her mother and her uncle, and the matter was reported to the police. Police shifted the girl to children's remand home.

"A routine physical check-up at the remand home revealed that the victim had suffered sexual abuse, so the officials initiated enquiry. The girl revealed that her step-father had raped her on many occasions since February," the officer said.
According to the girl, Shaikh also beat her up and warned of dire consequences if she talked to anybody about the sexual abuse.
He has been charged under sections 376 (rape), 342 (wrongful confinement), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the Indian Penal Code and sections of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012.