Father’s colleague held for raping 17-year-old girl after she is found to be pregnant in Gir Somnath

Rajkot: A 17-year-old girl in Gir Somnath district was found to be three months pregnant after being taken to a doctor for persistent vomiting. A complaint of rape was filed against a 25-year-old man, a colleague of the girl's father, at Gir Gadhada police station.The accused has been booked under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Sections 64(2)(I), 64(2)(M) and 351(3), along with relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act. Gir Gadhada police arrested him on Sunday. He was produced in court on Monday and remanded in judicial custody. In her complaint, the minor stated that the accused had known her for over a year. She alleged that over the past six months, he repeatedly took her to different places and established physical relations with her against her will, while threatening to kill her and her father if she spoke about it. N A Vaghela, in-charge police inspector of Gir Gadhada police station, said the accused was traced using a mix of human intelligence and technical surveillance and that the necessary evidence had been collected. Police sources said the girl had been suffering from symptoms such as fever, cough and vomiting for the past two to three months, for which her family had sought treatment earlier. A detailed medical examination conducted last week confirmed the pregnancy. When questioned by her family, the girl disclosed the alleged rape. The minor, who is engaged in labour and household work, was admitted to Veraval Hospital and later shifted to Junagadh for further treatment.