What happened in Mumbai’s Cuffe Parade is not just another crime story—it is a moral collapse so disturbing that it forces society to confront a terrifying truth: for many women, even the idea of “family” no longer guarantees safety. In one of the most revolting cases to surface in recent years, a 50-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly raping and impregnating his own 20-year-old daughter, a woman who is mentally challenged, speech-impaired, and hearing-impaired. DNA evidence confirmed what words alone struggle to convey—this was betrayal at its most grotesque, violence at its most intimate, and cruelty at its most calculated.

The case, investigated by the Cuffe Parade Police in South Mumbai, came to light after the survivor was found to be five months pregnant. What followed was a painstaking probe involving DNA testing of 16–17 men, multiple counselling sessions, NGO intervention, and the slow uncovering of repeated sexual abuse by several individuals who allegedly exploited the woman’s disabilities and vulnerability.

At the heart of this nightmare lies a chilling question: How much lower can society sink when a father becomes a predator, and a home becomes the most dangerous place for a woman?

The First Alarming Sign: A Cry for Help That Almost Went Unheard

The truth began to surface in September 2025, when the young woman complained to her grandmother about severe discomfort in her abdomen. Unable to speak or hear, she used gestures and expressions to describe her pain. She reportedly conveyed that it felt like “worms” or “insects crawling” inside her stomach—a description both heartbreaking and horrifying in hindsight.

Alarmed, her family took her to Mumbai’s Cama & Albless Hospital (also referred to as Cama Hospital in police records). Doctors conducted a medical examination, only to uncover a shocking revelation: the woman was five months pregnant.

For hospital authorities, this discovery immediately raised red flags. Given the woman’s mental and physical disabilities, the pregnancy could not be dismissed as consensual. The hospital promptly informed the Cuffe Parade police, triggering what would become one of the most disturbing investigations in the city.

A Survivor Silenced by Disability—and Fear

From the outset, the investigation was fraught with challenges. The survivor was non-verbal, hearing-impaired, and mentally challenged, making conventional police questioning nearly impossible. She could not record a statement immediately.

When police questioned the father, his response was both evasive and deeply troubling. He claimed that his daughter had been mentally challenged since childhood and insisted he had no knowledge of how she became pregnant. More disturbingly, he refused to lodge a complaint, dismissing any suggestion of sexual assault.

This refusal alone should have raised alarms—but in cases involving disabled women, disbelief and delay often become part of the violence.

After sustained efforts and counselling, the survivor eventually agreed to file a complaint against unknown persons, marking a critical turning point in the case.

FIR Registered Under Serious and Non-Bailable Charges

Based on the complaint, the Cuffe Parade Police registered a First Information Report (FIR) on September 22, 2025, detailing offences that allegedly occurred between March 21 and September 21, 2025.

The FIR invoked multiple stringent sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, including:

• Section 64(2)(i) – Rape of a woman incapable of giving consent

• Section 64(2)(k) – Rape of a woman with mental or physical disability

• Section 64(2)(m)

• Section 74

• Section 92

• Section 238(b)

Additionally, provisions of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act were applied, recognising the compounded cruelty of sexually assaulting a woman who could neither resist nor fully articulate her trauma.

The offences, police noted, carry punishment exceeding 10 years of imprisonment and are classified as heinous crimes, mandating strict action to prevent the accused from absconding.

A Web of Abuse: Multiple Accused, Multiple Arrests

As investigators dug deeper, a horrifying pattern began to emerge. Police suspected that the survivor had been sexually assaulted not just once, but repeatedly—by multiple individuals over several months.

With limited ability to communicate verbally, the victim was shown pictures, visual aids, and drawings to help her identify her attackers. Through this painstaking process:

• A 34-year-old married man was arrested

• A 17-year-old minor boy was taken into custody

• In other accounts, police referred to the arrest of a 32-year-old man and the detention of a 16-year-old minor, both residents of a Cuffe Parade slum

These individuals were identified by the survivor during assisted counselling sessions and were subsequently charge-sheeted. Police also revealed that the woman was sexually assaulted at isolated locations and sometimes inside her own home when no one else was present.

Investigators further stated that some accused allegedly took her to secluded places and gave her carbonated drinks, raising suspicion that she may have been deliberately disoriented or manipulated to make resistance impossible.

DNA Testing: Seventeen Men, One Horrifying Match

Given the seriousness of the crime and the possibility of multiple perpetrators, police launched an extensive forensic operation. Blood and DNA samples were collected from 16–17 suspects, including:

• The father

• Other family members

• Neighbours and individuals who had access to the woman

These samples were sent, along with DNA from the foetus, to the Kalina Forensic Science Laboratory.

In the meantime, the woman’s pregnancy was medically terminated, a decision taken amid immense emotional, ethical, and medical complexity.

On January 27, 2026, the forensic report arrived—and with it, a revelation that exposed the deepest rot imaginable.

Out of all the samples tested, only one DNA profile matched the foetus.

It was the father’s.

The Ultimate Betrayal: Father Arrested After DNA Confirmation

Following the forensic confirmation, police summoned the father for questioning. Confronted with the DNA evidence, his involvement was established beyond doubt. He was formally arrested by the Cuffe Parade police.

Officers stated that the nature of the crime—rape of a disabled woman by a person in a position of trust—made the arrest unavoidable. The accused faces charges that could lead to decades in prison, yet no sentence can truly measure the depth of the betrayal inflicted.

This was not just a crime—it was incestuous violence, enabled by power, fear, and silence.

Why the Victim Didn’t Name Her Father Earlier

One of the most disturbing aspects of the case is that the survivor initially did not name her father as one of the perpetrators.

Police later revealed why.

During recent counselling sessions, the woman disclosed that her father had sexually assaulted her but said she was terrified of the consequences. She feared that if she spoke out, he would be arrested, and her fragile world would collapse entirely.

According to counsellors, she appeared to have been warned or threatened by the accused not to tell anyone about the abuse.

This fear—rooted in dependence, disability, and emotional control—is exactly how perpetrators within families continue to get away with unimaginable crimes.

NGO Intervention: Giving Voice to the Voiceless

Assistant Police Inspector Ashwini Patil (also referred to as Ashwini Koli-Patil), who led the investigation, sought help from Vidhayak Bharti, a non-profit organisation working in child rights and protection.

Counsellors Leena (Lila) Patade and Madhura Kodlekar conducted multiple therapy-based sessions over five days, using:

• Drawings

• Finger-doll communication

• Visual storytelling techniques

These sessions were crucial in recording the victim’s statement and identifying suspects. According to the NGO, the woman was “shattered and frightened” and initially unwilling to speak about the abuse.

Their intervention stands as a reminder that justice for disabled survivors requires patience, empathy, and specialised support—not indifference.

Other Children Removed for Safety

As the case unfolded, police took another critical step. The accused father’s two other children, both reportedly mentally challenged, were shifted to a government shelter home in Mankhurd.

This move was made under the directions of the State Legal Services Authority, prioritising the children’s safety over family optics—a rare but necessary act in a society that too often hides abuse behind closed doors.

A Crime That Forces Society to Look in the Mirror

This case is not just about one man, one family, or one neighbourhood in Mumbai. It is about a society that repeatedly fails its most vulnerable—women, disabled individuals, and those trapped within abusive households.

How disgusting must the moral decay be when a father, entrusted with protection, becomes the worst predator of all? How hollow does the idea of “home” sound when it becomes the site of repeated sexual violence?

For women today, the message is chilling: danger does not always come from strangers. Sometimes, it sleeps in the next room.

The Investigation Continues, But the Damage Is Permanent

While the father’s arrest marks a significant milestone, police have made it clear that the investigation is ongoing. Several suspects are still under scrutiny, and authorities believe that multiple individuals exploited the survivor over time, emboldened by her inability to speak out.

Justice, when it arrives late, is still justice—but the scars left behind will never fully heal.

This case should haunt lawmakers, law enforcers, and society at large. Because until women—especially disabled women—are safe inside their own homes, no amount of development, progress, or pride can wash away this shame.

With inputs from agencies

Image Source: Multiple agencies

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