The 17-year-old girl had come from West Bengal to work at a private garbage segregation unit in Bengaluru. | Photo Credit: Illustration by Satheesh Vellinezhi
A 17-year-old ragpicker, who had come to Bengaluru from West Bengal with her parents three months ago to work at a private garbage segregation unit, was allegedly raped by the contractor in his godown-cum-residence on May 18. An FIR was registered in Begur police station.
The accused, Mohammed Shaheen Sheikh, 36, has two wives. One of the wives called the teenager around 1 a.m. to pick up tea meant for the other workers. When the girl went to pick up the tea, the wife allegedly forced her into the room of the accused and locked it from outside. The girl was allegedly raped in the room, according to the police.
The girl was threatened by the accused at knife-point to not talk about the alleged incident to anyone.
The girl went home and narrated the ordeal to her to her parents.
The parents took her to Begur police station around 4 a.m. to file a complaint.
The parents alleged that the police abused the father of the girl, calling him a Bangladeshis and (the family) illegal immigrants. They allege that the police did not take their complaint until 1 p.m. when others, who got to know about the incident, started calling the police.
“We are not Bangladeshis, but from West Bengal. We have all the documents to prove our nationality,” the father said.
The police took the girl for a medical examination.
While the main accused is absconding, police detained his wives and his brother who allegedly offered money to the girl’s family for not filing a complaint.
