Jobless man attempts to rape 15-year-old daughter in Ludhiana

Ludhiana (Punjab), August 14: In a bizarre incidence of sexual assault and attempted rape, involving a father and his own daughter has been reported from Punjab’s Ludhiana district.

On Friday, August 6, Ludhiana (Rural) police, based on a complaint filed by the victim and her mother has arrested a 45-year-old man for attempt to rape his 15-year-old minor daughter.

The 15-year-old, class 8^th pass out, said in her complaint in her quest for justice, “My father returned home from Dubai about nine months ago. Later, he lost his right leg in an accident; since then he is addicted to alcohol, lives at home, and does not work. My mother works hard to take care of the family.” 

As per the complaint, on July 13 in Gobindgarh Village of Ludhiana District, at around 6:30 pm her mother was doing some chores in the kitchen, younger sister and brother were also inside the house, while she was studying. This was when her father beckoned her to put some medicinal drops in the cow’s eye, as it was injured.

When she and her father stepped out of the house, he asked her to also bring some straw from the fodder room. As she entered it with a basket, her father came into the room behind her and grabbed her hands, and tried to force him onto her. Later, the accused let her go when she resisted.

However, he threatened to kill her by slitting her throat if she communicates her near incest ordeal to anyone. This intimidation made the victim quite frightened; she went inside the house and lied quietly in a corner. She was so scared that she didn’t tell anything to anyone, not even her mother.

Over three weeks after the incident, she overcame her fright and told her mother all about the attack on her modesty and its psychological impact, who took her to the police station and helped her file the complaint.

An FIR has now been lodged against the accused under relevant sections of 376 (rape) and 511 (attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or other imprisonment) of Indian Penal Code (IPC), and sections 7 and 8 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

An investigation has since been launched into the matter.

Investigating officer (IO) Sub-Inspector Ramandeep Kaur said, “The accused was arrested from his house on Friday morning.”