Firoz Shaikh booked for raping 5 minor girls, forcing them into flesh trade

Mumbai : A 50-year-old man has been booked for allegedly raping five minor girls, four of whom are sisters. The FIR has been registered based on the statement of a 17-year-old girl, who was rescued from a brothel two years ago and is presently lodged at a children’s home in Dongri.

Police officials said the girl revealed her ordeal during a counselling session at the Asha Sadan children’s home in Dongri.

The girl informed the counsellors that she, her three younger sisters (aged 15, 13, 11) and another minor girl were raped by one Firoz Shaikh on multiple occasions, the police said.

According to her statement, Shaikh sexually assaulted the girls after sedating their drinks. She alleged that he forced them to drink beer.

“He had also filmed the sexual acts and sent it to his friends and accepted money from them for the videos,” said a police officer.

The minor told child care officers that the accused forced them to watch porn and then sexually abused them. He also forced the girls into flesh trade by sending them to his friends’ places for sexual acts in exchange for money, the officer said.

The assaults took place in the Ashok Nagar and Indira Nagar areas of Chembur between 2018 and 2021.

“After the girl’s statement, the authorities at children’s home with the help of police called the other minor girls to the shelter home and counselled them. They also spoke about enduring the sexual assault for about three years. The shelter home authority then informed the RCF police and a case was registered against the accused. The accused is still at large,” the police officer said.

The survivor was around 15-year-old when she was rescued from a brothel by the Chembur police station on February 25, 2019. She first lodged at a Mankhurd shelter home and later shifted to Asha Sadan Children’s home in Dongri, where she is also completing her studies, police sources said.

Based on the girl’s statement the RCF police on Monday registered a case against Shaikh under sections 376 (2)(i), 376 (2)(a), 376 (2)(b), 376 (2)(e) of Indian Penal Code. Sections 4, 6, 8 and 12 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 3, 4, 5 of Immoral Traffic Prevention Act and 66(E) and 67 of Information Technology Act.

Deputy commissioner of police, zone 6, Krishnakant Upadhyay said the accused would be arrested soon. Senior inspector of RCF police station Balasaheb Ghavate also said that the police have got leads on the accused and would soon catch him.

Source : Hindustan Times