Mentally challenged woman raped in Maharashtra

Palghar:A 20-year-old mentally challenged woman was allegedly raped by an unidentified man in Palghar district of Maharashtra, police said on Tuesday.

The offence came to light some days back when doctors found that she was pregnant, a police spokesperson said.

The victim was allegedly raped on several occasions in the last two-and-a-half months by the man at her home in Vasai area here when her parents, who are labourers, went out for work, he said.

The man used to lure the victim by offering her biscuits and chocolates, the official said.

A few days back, the woman complained of stomachache following which her parents took her to a hospital where doctors found that she was pregnant, he said.

The victim has so far not been able to identify the accused, the official said.

The woman's parents on Monday lodged a complaint following which the police registered a case under Indian Penal Code sections for rape, he said.

Efforts were on to identify and trace the accused, he added.