Mother's tragic nightmare in Nagpur: Woman jailed for killing 'rapist' contractor; minor daughters raped by father

A 35-year-old woman and her 17-year-old son are fighting for their survival after they ended up murdering a contractor who tried to rape the woman at the construction site where they were working in June. What is even more tragic is the fact while the mother of four children languished in prison, her abusive husband, who tormented the family for years, allegedly sexually exploited their two minor daughters for three months, reports TOI's Soumitra Bose.

The migrant woman and her son now face immense hardship and struggles owing to the "murder stigma". "With a murder stigma, I am not getting work. I am anxious about my children's future," the woman told TOI who is now out on bail. Labelled as "murder accused", the woman is being shunned by her locality and no one is ready to give her work. Struggling to make her ends meet, the woman doesn't even have money to afford a bus fare to attend court hearings.

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How did the crime come to light?

The horrific abuse came to light after the couple's 14-year-old son caught the father and immediately raised an alarm. A neighbour alerted by the commotion sought the help of transgenders living in the nearby area. Members of the transgender community allegedly barged into the accused’s residence, rescued the children, thrashed the father and handed him over to Wathoda Police, the TOI report said.

Later on, the father was arrested and was booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) Act. The survivors — aged between 9 and 12 — were sent to a govt shelter for rehabilitation and counselling.

Married off at 14, the woman had escaped from Delhi to Nagpur in 2024 with her children to escape years of abuse and domestic violence. She hoped for a fresh start at the behest of her cousin. There was a ray of hope when and her elder son soon found daily-wage work at a construction site in Kuhi area.

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But tragedy struck at work when the contractor dragged the woman and tried to "rape" her. She tried to fight back and her son joined in the struggle to save his mother. The contractor suffered grievous injuries in the scuffle and later died. The mother and the son fled the scene. Kuhi police swiftly arrested the woman and sent her to Nagpur Central Jail and her minor son to a govt observation home.

'Requested cops not to give daughters to my husband'

After the woman was arrested, police contacted her estranged husband in Delhi and asked him to come to Nagpur to take custody of the remaining three children. The man assured the authorities he would care for them despite the migrant woman's repeated plea not to hand over the children to their father.

"My husband was a liquor addict, womaniser, and wife-beater. I requested rural police (Kuhi) not to give my two daughters custody to my husband. The cops assured me they would keep a watch on my husband and take care of my two daughters. But nothing happened, and both my minor daughters were sexually assaulted for three months," said the woman.

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Back in their temporary shelter, the father began raping his daughters. The crime continued for nearly three months until his 14-year-old son accidentally witnessed the act. The two traumatised girls were immediately shifted to a govt shelter home for safety and counselling. "We arrested the father. The formalities for monetary benefits under the Manodharya scheme for rape survivors are already being processed," senior inspector Harish Borade of Wathoda police station told TOI.

The elder son has also left the observation homes and is now trying to find work, but as a minor, he struggles to secure any livelihood. Meanwhile, the mother is fighting stigma, poverty, and deep emotional trauma. Social worker Meena Latkar is currently helping the family navigate this difficult phase.

(With TOI inputs)