62-year-old raped by ‘friend’ in Mumbai flat

A 62-year old woman was raped allegedly by a 42-year-old man after he lunched with her at her Marol home on Saturday.

Police arrested the accused, Ashok Deju Saneel, from his Borivli home on Sunday afternoon. Saneel, who works as a supervisor in a multinational company at Silvassa, knew the victim for the past few years. He normally spent the weekends in Mumbai.

“We have registered a case of rape against the accused on the basis of the victim’s complaint,” Shantilal Bhamre, assistant commissioner, Powai division, said. “Investigations are on and we are trying to find out how they know each other.”

Another investigating officer said Saneel stays with his second wife in Borivli.

The victim, a retired BMC school teacher, is a widow and stays alone. Her 31-year-old son works in Bangalore and 33-year-old daughter works with an international airline and is settled in the Gulf. Immediately after the incident, the woman called up a close friend of her daughter and told her everything. She took her to Bombay hospital because she was injured and bleeding. 

“The lady was wheeled into the hospital late at night on Saturday. On examination we found that she had been sexually assaulted,” Dr Rajkumar Chaudhari, medical superintendent, Bombay hospital, said. “Her health is stable now.”

Doctors at the hospital informed police. Once she recovers from the trauma, police will take her statement, the officer said.