CHENNAI: A 27-year-old mentally challenged women was allegedly raped by one of her neighbours in the city on Sunday.
According to the police, Muthu (45), from a fishing hamlet near Marina, allegedly lured the woman to his house and raped her. Muthu was known to the woman’s family.
On Sunday afternoon, Muthu called the victim to his house and locked the room from inside. As she was not seen for a long time, her 42-year-old mother and other neighbours went looking for her.
Based on suspicion, they checked Muthu’s house on the same street. Despite knocking on the door for a long time, there was no response from inside. They then broke open the wooden door and found Muthu raping the woman.
“The aggrieved mob thrashed Muthu and handed him over to the Mylapore All Women Police Station where a case was filed against him under section 376 of the IPC,” said inspector C Yuvarani.
Preliminary probe showed that the accused, a fisherman, had returned from the sea and was drunk when he raped the mentally-challenged woman. After recording witnesses’ statements, the woman was taken to a nearby government hospital for tests.
The women is the only daughter of her mother who earns a living as a vegetable vendor. The victim was working in a private company after completing her Class X exams from a nearby Government school.
Police sources said she became mentally challenged after a ‘shock’ she experienced at her work place. Her mother, who was separated from her husband years ago, was single handedly taking care of her.