Shiv Sena leader sexually abused minor, victim delivers premature baby

Mumbai: In a major embarrassment for Shiv Sena, the party's 62-year-old deputy president Vasudev Nambiar has been arrested for allegedly raping a 15-year-old girl for the past many months, as per reports on Sunday.

According to the police, the matter came to light when the victim delivered a premature baby at a local hospital in Mira Road. On questioning she revealed that she was being raped by Nambiar since January.

The accused took the girl out several times with him on the pretext of visit to the temple and allegedly raped her repeatedly in Thane.

The girl also revealed that Nambiar threatened her of dire consequences if she dared to disclose the matter to anyone.

Her parents got to know about the incident when she got pregnant. The accused has been charged under sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC and section 4 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. He was produced before a local magistrate yesterday who remanded him in police custody till September 11, Kadam said.

Earlier, the Sena faced flak after it came out in support of senior IPS officer Sunil Paraskar, accused of raping a city-based model, and stroked a controversy by issuing a statement that it has become a 'fashion' to charge men with rape.

The Mumbai crime branch is likely to file a chargesheet against Paraskar by the end of this month.  

(With PTI inputs)