Palghar baby’s death: Cops may do polygraph test on driver arrested in molestation case

The driver of the car has been arrested; (inset) the car involved in the incident which has been confiscated by cops. Pics/Hanif Patel

MBVV police's Crime Branch, which is probing the death of a 10-month-old baby and the alleged molestation of her mother, is considering conducting a polygraph test of the arrested driver to ascertain the sequence of events. The complainant has alleged that a co-passenger threw her baby out of the car window and then three of her co-passengers and the driver molested her. Cops, however, have found some inconsistencies in her statement as well and are trying to verify how the toddler fell out of the vehicle.

The incident took place on December 10, minutes after the tribal woman, aged 19, and her toddler boarded the vehicle at Pelhar on Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway to go to Manor. The woman, while talking to mid-day at a civic hospital in Nalasopara last week, had said, "One of the passengers snatched my baby and threw her out of the window while the others molested me."

Mandvi police registered a case in the matter and arrested the driver of the vehicle. The cops said there were a total of eight occupants in the car, including the mother and the driver. Police officers have identified four of the passengers and recorded their statements before the magistrate.

Also Read: Mumbai: Cab driver, passengers killed my child, says woman

Others' statements

An officer attached to Mandvi police station told mid-day that the four co-passengers said that they did not know how the baby fell out of the vehicle. "They claimed they got alarmed only after the woman shouted ‘bachcha gir gaya' and opened the door of the running car to jump out," said a cop.

"These co-passengers, in their statements, have denied the serious allegations levelled by the woman. Since the driver has been arrested in this case, it is important for us to ascertain if he is telling the truth or lying," said a senior crime branch officer.

He added, "During interrogation, the driver told us that he was taking a turn after the woman boarded the car. He said he didn't know how the baby fell out. So, senior officers are considering making him take a lie detector test."

‘Claims not adding up'

The car involved in the incident has been confiscated by the police and crime branch officers recreated the scene using the same vehicle to check the veracity of the woman's allegations.

"The woman alleged the person sitting behind her snatched the baby and threw her out of the window. After recreating the scene, we have come to the conclusion that the baby fell out of the vehicle and was not thrown out. If you throw something out of a moving car, it will hit the ground at a certain distance. But the way the baby was found indicates that she slipped out of her mother's grip," said a senior crime branch officer.

Another officer said, "The woman's claims seem to be incorrect. The window next to the person she accused does not roll down. In addition, it will be very difficult for a passenger sitting in the rear to snatch a baby from a person sitting in the front seat and then throw her baby using the front
window itself."

"We have another reason not to believe her theory, which is the time and distance. The incident took place hardly 2 km from where she got inside the car, which would take around 4 minutes to travel. Her sequence of events cannot take place within such a short period. However, we registered the case as she levelled some serious allegations which needed to be investigated properly," said a crime branch officer.

‘Cops making it hard for us'

The brother-in-law of the woman said that the incident took place after the woman's husband left their home for his native village in Wada taluka on December 10 to bring his motorcycle. The couple had a fight over the man going to the village and after he left, the woman decided to follow suit.
"My brother wanted to bring the motorcycle from the village so that he could commute easily from his rented house to his workplace,"
he added.

He added that the crime branch officers were asking them to visit the police station frequently, which was difficult, as the family was preparing for the last rites of the toddler. "We have to take a cab from Wada taluka to come to Mandvi police station in Virar. The officers also make us wait and then ask us to visit the crime branch office in Nalasopara. It is difficult for us as we have relatives coming to our house for the ritual. But we have no option but to come to the police station when they ask us to. The cops should think about us, too," he added.