Woman, lover held for sexual assault & murder of baby girl | Mumbai News

Mumbai: A woman who allegedly let her 19-year-old partner sexually assault her two-year-old daughter in her presence, before taking the child’s life has been arrested. Her teenage lover has also been arrested.Both are in police custody. The police found out that the 30-year-old mother was unwilling to care for the daughter from her first marriage. She had divorced her husband two years ago. The incident occurred in a hut in Malvani on Sunday.The case emerged when the pair brought the child to a Malvani hospital late on Sunday. “At the hospital, the accused told the doctor that her daughter became unconscious after suffering from epilepsy. However, the doctor got suspicious and, during examination, he found out that the minor died of asphyxia. The doctor immediately alerted the police,” said an officer from Malvani police station.When the child’s grandmother was not present at home, the young man committed the offence while the child’s mother, said the police. “The child’s mother confessed that initially she was not ready that her lover sexually abuse her daughter. However, she agreed when he repeatedly insisted that she allow him to rape the victim in front of her. She has confessed she was not keen to care for the child, and that she was looked after by her elderly mother who works as a domestic help and earns Rs 3000 a month,” said a police officer.Police said that the pair attempted to conceal the crime by claiming it was an epileptsy episode. “However, the doctor noticed that the minor died due to smothering. Also, he noticed fresh injury marks on the minor’s private parts that were caused due to sexual assault,” said the officer.Officials revealed that the woman and the 19-year-old were in a relationship. The woman’s previous marriage ended in divorce two years ago when her husband departed during her pregnancy. After giving birth, she resided at her mother’s residence where she began her relationship with the accused.The accused face charges under BNS sections including rape, causing death, evidence tampering, murder, and common intention. Additional charges under Pocso Act include aggravated penetrative sexual assault, aggravated sexual assault and failure to report an offence.