29 October,2014 01:51 PM IST | | Sagar Rajput
When an on-record criminal sneaked into their house to attack the woman, the child kept her calm: she pretended to be asleep, then slunk outside to raise an alarm
A little girl saved her mother from big trouble. When a history-sheeter entered their Mulund house to rape her mother, the four-year-old kept her wits about her, escaped and raised an alarm just in time for the locals to converge on their house and avert a sexual assault.
Sarvant Jaypal, who has previously been accused of attacks and illegal possession of arms, is now in the custody of Mulund police for Monday's misdeed. Pic/Rajesh Gupta
According to police officials, on Monday morning, 29-year-old Sarvant Jaypal, who is accused in several cases of assault and possession of firearms, entered the woman's house. Cops said Jaypal had seen her husband at a tea stall close by and, taking advantage of his absence at home, crept in to attack his wife.
Speaking to mid-day, the woman's husband said, "Jaypal, a local goon, saw that I was out getting tea and decided to attack my wife. After sneaking into our house, he locked the doors and pointed a knife at her stomach, ordering her to take off her maxi."
She begged him not to rape her in front of her two children, but disregarding her pleas, he started undressing her. "It was 7 am and our two daughters, four and one, were sleeping. The elder one awoke when she heard my wife's cries, but pretended to be asleep, until she spotted a chance to bolt out the door and call for help. She succeeded, and shortly the locals gathered and hauled Jaypal to the police station."
One of the couple's neighbours said, "The child came to me asking for help, after which I gathered a few residents and rushed to her house, where Jaypal was holding the woman at knifepoint." While the accused was being handed over to the police, he apparently threatened to kill the woman. Fearing for her life, her husband has now sent her to live with her kin.
Residents of Vijay Nagar are reportedly afraid of Jaypal, who they say has attacked many of them and harassed several women in the past. "He roams around carrying a knife in his pocket and harassing girls in the area. He has no fear of being arrested again," said a local.
The investigating officer, Sub-inspector Rupali Patode from Mulund police station, said, "We have arrested the accused, and learnt that he had also been arrested a year ago under the Arms Act. The incident took place at 7 am on Monday, and the complainants reported to the police station at around 10 am, after which a case was registered."
Jaypal has been booked under section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 452 (house-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint) of the Indian Penal Code, and remanded in police custody for three days.
