Darjeeling: Elderly rapes minor multiple times over a month, gave her Rs10 to stay quiet

A distressing incident came to light from Darjeeling, West Bengal, where a 68-year-old man was accused raping a minor girl multiple times over a period exceeding a month, as confirmed by local authorities. The accused is reported to have, following each sexual assault, given the victim with a sum of Rs10 and issued threats of dire consequences if she dared to disclose these horrific experiences to anyone. The young girl’s harrowing ordeal came to public attention on Monday, when she, a 5th-grade student, bravely recounted the traumatic events to her mother. In response, her mother promptly reported the matter to the local police and filed a formal complaint. As per the First Information Report (FIR), the heinous acts transpired while the girl was alone in her residence. The accused, a resident of the area, allegedly compelled her into silence by offering Rs10 after each assault and menacing her with the possibility of strangulation if she were to disclose these crimes to others. A police officer quoted by PTI shared this information. Subsequent to the mother’s complaint and the victim’s statement, a case has been registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and law enforcement has taken the accused into custody. In the interim, the young girl has been subjected to a medical examination at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital, with ongoing investigations in progress. In a separate incident occurring earlier in July, a 16-year-old girl in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, reportedly suffered repeated sexual assault at the hands of a 60-year-old man, who happened to be her neighbor. An FIR was lodged following a complaint by the girl’s family, leading to the arrest of the accused by the police. It was further alleged that the accused’s son had previously been arrested for the rape of a minor several years ago.