Father Arrested After DNA Test Links Him to Rape of His Disabled Daughter

A man, aged 50, has been arrested in south Mumbai in connection with the rape of his own 20-year-old disabled daughter.

He emerged as the primary suspect after DNA tests conducted on 17 men confirmed that he is the father of the unborn child she is carrying.

Due to her dual impairments in hearing and speech, the victim was unable to communicate the identity of her assailant directly.

The inquiry, spearheaded by the Cuffe Parade police in Mumbai, commenced in September 2025 after the young woman reported severe abdominal pain to her grandmother. Using gestures, she described the sensation as akin to "insects crawling" or "worms moving" inside her, according to police reports.

She was later hospitalized at Cama & Albless Hospital, where medical examinations confirmed she was five months pregnant.

Hospital staff promptly informed the police, but the investigation faced obstacles as officers struggled with significant communication barriers. Initially, the survivor was not in a position to provide a formal statement.

Upon questioning, her father dismissed any allegations of sexual abuse and was unable to explain his daughter's pregnancy. He declined to file a complaint regarding the situation.

The breakthrough in the case came with help from counselors from the NGO Vidhayak Bharti, Lila Patade and Madhura Kodlekar. Over a span of five days, they conducted therapy sessions employing drawings and finger-doll techniques to facilitate the survivor's expression of her ordeal. This careful method allowed her to eventually file a complaint and identify her attacker. She repeatedly pointed to certain individuals during these sessions.

Following her testimony, police quickly apprehended a 34-year-old married suspect and a 17-year-old boy. A First Information Report (FIR) was documented on September 22, 2025, under severe provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) related to the rape of a woman unable to provide consent and sexual assault against a disabled person, as well as clauses from the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act. Allegations indicated that the offenses took place between March 21 and September 21, 2025.

To verify the paternity of the fetus, investigators carried out systematic genetic tests. Blood samples were collected from the 17 suspects, including the woman's father, and sent for forensic analysis alongside the fetal sample.

A forensic report received on January 27, 2026, revealed a distressing finding: only one DNA profile matched — that of the victim's father.

Following this revelation, authorities called the 50-year-old man for further questioning, established his complicity, and formally arrested him.

A senior police official remarked that the crime is categorized as particularly heinous and punishable by more than ten years in prison, making his apprehension necessary to prevent any risk of him fleeing the legal process.