In Jodhpur, Rajasthan, a shocking case of prolonged incestuous abuse has led to the arrest of a 45-year-old daily wage labourer on Friday. The man, identified only by initials in police reports, was apprehended hiding in the Collectorate premises after a family complaint surfaced. Authorities acted swiftly, registering an FIR on Thursday under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012. The charges encompass rape, repeated sexual assault, molestation, and criminal intimidation through death threats.
The elder daughter, now 18, endured unimaginable torment starting at age six in 2014, when her father first allegedly raped her in their modest home on the city's outskirts. For nearly 12 years, he exploited her repeatedly, including an assault just one month prior to the complaint. Police statements reveal he wielded terror as a weapon, threatening to kill her and the family if she spoke out—silencing her through fear and isolation. Medical examinations confirmed injuries consistent with long-term abuse, underscoring the case's severity.
The nightmare extended to the younger daughter, 15, when the father allegedly molested her recently in a brazen attempt to repeat his crimes. Unlike her sister, she resisted fiercely and confided immediately in her elder sibling, who then disclosed her own decade-long ordeal. This revelation shattered the family's fragile silence, built on threats and shame in their close-knit labourer community. Investigators noted the girls' bravery as pivotal, with forensic teams now analyzing evidence from the family residence.
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Prompted by the younger daughter's insistence, the sisters convinced their mother to confront the accused, igniting a fierce argument that echoed through relatives three days before his arrest. The mother, a homemaker unaware due to the threats, filed the complaint after the family uproar. Police deployed teams across Jodhpur's crowded markets and government buildings, tracking him via CCTV footage from the Collectorate area. The arrest unfolded without resistance, but officers described the scene as emotionally charged.
Legal experts highlight the POCSO Act's stringent provisions, mandating minimum 10-year sentences for aggravated penetrative assault on minors, with life imprisonment possible for repeated offenses. The case also invokes IPC Sections 376 (rape), 354 (assault on modesty), and 506 (criminal intimidation). Jodhpur police have placed the accused in judicial custody, with victim counseling underway through child welfare committees. Community leaders condemned the incident, vowing support for the family's rehabilitation.
This tragedy exposes gaps in child protection amid Rajasthan's rural-urban fringes, where poverty and stigma often conceal such horrors. Authorities urge reporting via helplines like Childline 1098, emphasizing zero tolerance. The investigation continues, with potential charges against enablers if complicity emerges.
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