A sessions court in Maharashtra`s Latur district on Sunday remanded Amit Ankush Waghmare, the main accused in the alleged rape of an HIV-infected minor girl at a shelter home, to police custody for one day, reported news agency PTI.
The accused, Waghmare, was arrested on Saturday. Police have so far apprehended five individuals, including the founder of the shelter, in connection with the alleged sexual assault, an official stated.
The girl was purportedly raped over a period of two years at a children`s shelter home in Latur district and subsequently forced to terminate her pregnancy, PTI reported.
As per the complaint lodged by the girl at Dhoki police station in her native Dharashiv district, the incidents transpired between July 13, 2023, and July 23 this year at Sevalay, a home for HIV-infected children in Hasegaon, Latur.
Additionally, she was allegedly raped four times by an employee of the shelter, who also threatened her against disclosing the ordeal to anyone. According to the police, the shelter management did not offer her assistance and even tore up a letter she had intended for officials, which she had dropped into a complaint box.
Police had previously stated that after the girl fell ill, she was taken to a hospital where tests revealed she was four months pregnant. Following this, the accused arranged for a doctor to perform an abortion procedure without her consent, PTI reported.
Sevalay founder Ravi Bapatle, its superintendent Rachna Bapatle, and employees Rani Waghmare and Pooja Waghmare were arrested in the case on Friday and presented before the sessions court on Saturday. They were subsequently sent to police custody until July 28.
Amit Waghmare was produced in the sessions court on Sunday, which ordered his police custody for a single day, an official confirmed. As the police custody of all five accused concludes on Monday (July 28), they will be presented in court, an official said, according to PTI.
Earlier, due to initial confusion from the survivor, one Amit Mahamuni was also detained, but he was released after it was determined he had no involvement in the crime, police stated.
Meanwhile, a probe is currently underway concerning the hospital where the minor allegedly underwent the abortion, police added.
(With inputs from PTI)