Physiotherapist arrested for allegedly raping teenage girl with disabilities at clinic

The incident came to the fore when the girl informed her parents about the incident through a text message. The girl was diagnosed with Japanese Encephalitis seven years ago after being bitten by a mosquito during a holiday in Assam in 2014. She was paralysed and had a speech disability.

The accused, who was nabbed on Thursday, had allegedly been sexually assaulting the girl, suffering from speech impairment and other physical disabilities, for more than a year whenever she used to visit his clinic, the police official said.

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The accused has been molesting the girl for more than a year during her visitations to his clinic, which is located at Kamla Spaces in Santa Cruz West. On Tuesday last week, she sent a text message to her parents with the help of her toes via her mobile phone, informing them of her issues. She was able to communicate after being informed about good touch and bad touch through television, reports Mid Day.

PTI reports that the parents eventually filed a complaint with the police, where the girl revealed the details of the incident to the police officials. During the investigation, the police found out that the man assaulted her every time she visited his clinic. Her parents used to wait for her outside the cabin and therefore were not aware of the case, said a police official. He added that the accused is suspected to have assaulted other children too.

The police found that the sexual harassment has been taking place between the January and October of this year.

"Badiger had been sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl in his clinic for the past few months. She had gone for a holiday with her family to Assam in 2014 and contracted Japanese Encephalitis after a mosquito bite. Her body was paralysed and she was unable to speak. After several tests doctors found she was infected by Japanese Encephalitis which has no cure. Treatment is only supportive to relieve symptoms and stabilise the patient," said a police official.

The official said, "In early 2021 the doctor started sexually assaulting her and molested her many times during treatment. He would not allow her parents in the clinic and they had to wait outside", adding that, "In mid-October, the girl saw an advertisement on television about good touch and bad touch. She started crying and tried to tell her mother about her ordeal. Unable to do so, she typed it with her toes on a mobile phone. Her family rushed to the Santacruz police station on October 18 this year and registered an FIR under Sections 376 (rape), 354 (assault and criminal force) of IPC, and POSCO Act Sections 4, 8 & 12. The accused was arrested and has been remanded in judicial custody."

In her complaint, the girl stated that the man touched her inappropriately and raped her during their sessions in the clinic, reports the Free Press Journal.

The family had begun their physiotherapy session with the accused in 2014; however, it came to a halt due to the covid 19 financial problems in between. Eventually, the family restarted the physiotherapy session in early 2021.

After the complaint was made, an FIR was filed under sections 376 (rape), 354 (assault and criminal force) of IPC, and under sections 4, 8, and 12 of the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act) act. The physiotherapist was arrested from his clinic and was brought before a local court, which directed him to remain in judicial custody for seven days. The police are now investigating if similar offenses were committed by him.

Subsequently, the child would have to go through more medical tests, and the police would also be talking to other patients for the purpose of the investigation.

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