A detestable incident has surfaced from Gujarat’s Morbi on Saturday, sending shockwaves across the state, after the police arrested a man and his landlord for allegedly subjecting the former’s wife and minor daughter to repeated sexual abuse in exchange for unpaid house rent. The police said the horrifying incident took place for over six months and stemmed from extreme financial distress, as the man was unable to pay Rs 2,000 as monthly rent to his landlord.

According to police, they have registered a case under strict legal provisions and have invoked the Protection of Children From Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, while a third accused in the case is at large.

Family moved to Morbi in search of work

The investigating police personnel said that the family hails from Surendranagar and had moved to Morbi nearly six months ago to search for jobs and better financial stability. They rented an accommodation for Rs 2,000/month. However, owing to persistent economic hardships and reported business losses, the family had unpaid rent dues for over four months.

The police said that during this period, the landlord exploited the family’s financial hurdles and proposed an arrangement under which he would sexually abuse the man’s wife and his minor daughter in lieu of the unpaid rent. The cops further claimed that the woman’s husband was fully aware of the abuse and did not intervene due to mounting financial pressure, as well as fear of being evicted from the house. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) JM Lal confirmed that both the accused and the head of the family have been arrested.

Abuse unfolded at different locations

Officials aware of the incident said that the accused allegedly violated the woman and the minor girl at different locations, including the rented accommodation, the landlord’s house and at another site in Tankara. The incident, as per police, came to light when the woman’s mother learnt about her ordeal and approached the cops to file a complaint. Authorities said medical examinations of both the survivors and the accused have been completed, while a panchnama of the crime scenes has also been conducted as part of the probe.

The landlord aged 55 was produced before a court, and was initially remanded to custodial interrogation. Later, he was sent to judicial custody. Meanwhile, the police are persevering in efforts to trace another relative of the landlord, who is suspected to have aided him in the crime.