MAN RAPES WOMAN AT COVID CENTRE IN PANVEL

Accused and victim are awaiting reports of their throat and nasal swab tests at the Covid Care Centre

The Panvel Taluka police have registered a case of molestation and rape against a 25-year-old man who allegedly sexually assaulted a 40-yearold woman at a COVID Care Centre in Panvel on Thursday night. While the incident happened in the evening, the victim woman informed the police at night.

The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) and Panvel Municipal Corporation (PMC) have kept people suspected of Coronavirus as well as those who have tested positive at the Covid Care Centre in Kon village, around 9 km from Panvel city.

The police said that the incident happened around 6.30 pm on Thursday. The woman informed others in the quarantine centre at around 11 pm. Both the accused and the victim are suspected of being infected with the Coronavirus.

They have both given their swab tests and are awaiting for their test results.

The victim was put on the fifth floor of the quarantine centre on July 15. The accused was quarantined on July 16 and provided accommodation on the second floor in the same wing of the COVID care centre.

Ashok Rajput, senior police inspector from Panvel Taluka police station said that the brother of the accused was found corona positive. The reason why the accused was also isolated at the quarantine centre. “The accused had brought food for his brother at the quarantine centre on July 15. However, by mistake, he knocked on the door of the woman. But apologised for his mistake,” said Rajput.

However, on July 16 morning, the swab test report revealed that the accused man’s brother is corona positive. “Since his brother tested positive, he too was put in the quarantine centre on July 16,” said Rajput. He added that the accused had interacted with the victim once.

“In the evening around 6.30 pm, he knocked on the door of the woman. The woman thought it was a doctor who had come for a routine checkup. However, she was shocked to see him. He then sexually assaulted the woman,” said Rajput. He added that the woman did not tell anything at that time but informed others at around 11 pm. The accused is a resident of Sukhapur in Panvel.

The Panvel Taluka police registered an FIR against the accused under section 354 and 376 of IPC. “Since the accused is under treatment, he is staying there under security,” said Rajput.

Sudhakar Deshmukh, municipal commissioner of PMC said that the civic administration will take precautionary measures after consultation with the police. “The incident is shocking for everyone. Nobody thought that a corona suspect would do such an act. Such actions demotivate people who are working day and night to save the infected person,” said Deshmukh.

Meanwhile, the NMMC issued a statement after messages on social media claimed that NMMC had quarantined the woman. “NMMC has not accommodated any woman at the COVID care centre and message in circulation is wrong,” said the statement.