MUMBAI: A 13-year-old girl, who was allegedly raped repeatedly by an elderly man, was reportedly turned away by a woman sub-inspector at the Mira Road police station where the victim and her father went to a lodge a complaint in June last year. It is only now that a case has been registered after the Thane civil hospital contacted the cops when the teenaged girl, who is eight months' pregnant, visited the hospital.

Deputy superintendent of police Chandrakant Joshi confirmed that sub-inspector Sneha Mehtar did not register an FIR when the victim and her father approached her last year. Mehtar's reluctance to help the victim apparently did not stop there: She allegedly went on to make the girl's father submit a written undertaking that he "did not wish to lodge a complaint". "Considering that the girl is a minor, the woman officer should have alerted her seniors, even if the father was indeed reluctant to lodge a complaint. I will submit a report to the police superintendent (Thane rural) on Monday," said Joshi. Shiv Sena MLA from Thane Pratap Sarnaik , who got the case registered on Saturday, called for Mehtar's suspension.

The teenager, originally from Sindhudurg district, lost her mother a few years ago. About a year ago, she came to live in the Joggers' Park area of Mira Road with her father, who is a driver. They lived with the accused, identified as Pradhan (60), his wife and daughter (19).

A retired BMC sweeper, Pradhan has the contract of cleaning public toilets in the locality and the victim helped him with the work, the police said. According to the complaint now lodged, Pradhan would rape the girl when her father would be away; she alleged that Pradhan would give her sedatives before sexually assaulting her and that his wife and daughter were party to the crime. They have also been named in the FIR.

Once the girl's father learnt about the abuse, he confronted Pradhan. Subsequently in June last year, he and his daughter went to the Mira Road police station to lodge a rape complaint against Pradhan. But sub-inspector Mehtar allegedly refused to register a case and instead asked the father "to arrive at a settlement with Pradhan". She allegedly told the girl's father that registering a case would ruin the minor's reputation and so, he should keep the assault under wraps. Mehtar, who joined the police force around two years ago, reportedly did not insist on a medical test of the girl to confirm sexual assault.

Convinced by Mehtar and scared that the probe would malign his daughter's image, the father apparently went in for "settlement" with Pradhan who allegedly gave him Rs 7,000 as a pay-off. Soon after, Pradhan and with his family left for their hometown in Haryana. Subsequently, the girl was found pregnant, the police said.

Mehtar, who joined the police force around two years ago, did not insist on a medical examination of the girl to confirm sexual assault.

The cop allegedly told the father that filing a case would ruin the minor's reputation. According to the father, Pradhan raped his daughter while he was away at work. Pradhan's wife and daughter were party to the crime, the father alleged. They have been named in the FIR.

Recently, when the girl required a check-up, all hospitals in Mira Road and Bhayander area turned her away but directed her to the Thane civil hospital. "The hospital admitted the teenager on Saturday and contacted the police," said Sena MLA Sarnaik. "An FIR is now registered. A woman officer is supposed to look into crime against women. If an officer discourages a victim from lodging a complaint, where do women go?"

Pradhan is booked under section 376 (rape) and relevant sections of the IPC and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. No one is arrested.He is also expected to come to the city soon to collect his pension when we , the police said.

Pratap Sarnaik said that his party would take responsibility of the teenager, including her medicines and post delivery care.

