Mumbai: Family members of rape-murder accused held for threatening cops

Police team dispatched to accused's house in Andheri abused and threatened with iron rods by his family members

The Juhu Police on Saturday arrested the family members of a rape and murder accused for allegedly threatening and blocking investigation of a team of policemen who were probing the rape and murder case of a minor. The accused identified as Vadivel alias Devendra Gundappa Wadivar had allegedly raped and brutally murdered a nine-year-old girl.

According to the police, a team was dispatched to the accused Vadivel's house in Andheri for investigation and procure evidence regarding the case but the locals and the accused's family refused to cooperate with the police. Moreover, the accused's family showed up with iron rods and issued death threats to the police which prompted the cops to arrest them.

The arrested family members were identified as Muskan Vadivel Devendra 20, Chelmuttu alias Abbu Chintanbi Devendra 36, Bano Chelmuttu Devendra 33, Ramai Chintanbi Devendra 55.

Also Read: Three-year-old girl kidnapped, raped in Bharatpur

An officer from the Juhu Police Station aware of the case said, "We went to conduct a Panchama and wanted to conduct a house search of the accused who was involved in kidnapping, rape and murder of a minor. We informed the accused's wife Muskan and other family members about the procedure but the family members refused to cooperate with us. They blocked the entrance and the accused's wife and mother Ramai hurled abuses at us as well."

"The accused's brother Chelmuttu and sister Bano went inside the house only to return with iron rods and threatened the police team with assault if they dared to enter the house," the officer added.

The Juhu police team had to return without a search at the house and could not file a punchanama of the accused. The cops registered a fresh FIR against his family under section 506(2) (Punishment for criminal intimidation),341(Punishment for wrongful restraint), 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation) and 34 (Common Intention) of IPC.

Also Read: Mumbai: Stepfather spikes daughter's juice, rapes her when she is intoxicated

The rape and murder case
The body of a nine-year-old girl was found inside a public toilet in suburban Vile Parle on Saturday morning, following which locals in huge numbers gathered outside the Juhu police station, demanding justice for the victim. The cops arrested Devendra Gundappa Wadivar for the rape and murder of the girl. This was not the first time that Vadivel was arrested in a rape case. He had served jail term in a sexual assault case in 2013 and had walked out of jail in 2017 on account of improvement, an official said.

A large number of policemen were deployed during the funeral of the victim to avert any untoward incident as hundreds of local residents had come out on the streets demanding stringent action against the arrested accused. 

Also Read: Mumbai Crime: Man rapes 9-year-old before killing her; dumps her body in sewage tank in Vile Parle

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