Silvester D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (EP)

Kundapur, Sep 25: Police have arrested a man on charges of repeatedly raping a 16-year-old girl and impregnating her.

The accused is Mahesh Shetty (50), a resident of Yadamogge Jambe Hadi in Shankaranarayana police station limits.

The victim is a PUC student, whose father passed away sometime ago. It is said that when her father was alive, Mahesh had helped him monetarily and he used to often visit the house on this pretext, it is said. Mahesh would allegedly rape the girl when her mother, a daily wager, was away at work. He allegedly also threatened that if she revealed the matter to anyone, he would start demanding the money her father had borrowed with high rate of interest. Frightened by his threats, the girl remained silent.

The matter came to light only after the girl was four months into pregnancy.

The girl’s family filed a complaint in Shankaranarayana police station, after which a team led by circle inspector Diwaker P M arrested Mahesh and produced him in the court. Mahesh has been booked under POCSO Act.

Man booked for sexually exploiting cousin

In another incident, reported in Shankarnarayana police station limits, a youth was arrested for developing sexual relationship with the daughter of his uncle after promising to marry her and rejecting her after impregnating her.

The accused, Hiliana resident Umesh (26), was arrested on Thursday September 24 and produced in the court.

As the girl is in the fourth month of pregnancy, her parents urged Umesh to marry her, but his parents refused the proposal, source said.

The girl's parents then filed a complaint with Shankaranarayana police, after which Umesh was arrested.