Teenager abused, forced to abort; four held

Thane, Jul 16: Four persons including three women have been arrested on the charges of abusing a teenage girl and forcing her to abort, police said on Tuesday.

According to API Walmik Patil of Palghar police station, Sandeep Balwant, 36, a resident of Jiwdani Nagar of Palghar East was in a illicit relationship with the girl from the same locality following she became pregnant.

Balwant then threatened the girl into silence and forcibly took her to Vaishali Nursing Home and got their child aborted, the complaint by the victim's mother said. The complaint said that at the time of abortion in the hospital, besides the arrested accused, his two wives, sister in law and one more person was present in the hospital.

Based on the complaint, Balwant, his two wives Shama and Manisha and sister-in-law Salma in connection with the offence, police said. Patil said the arrested have been charged under sections 376, 317 and 318 of the IPC besides section 4 of the Protection of Children from Sexual offences Act 2012.

All the arrested were produced before the local magistrate who remanded them in police custody up to July 20.

PTI