Diamond Factory Manager Dies in Mumbai Hotel During Alleged Sexual Assault on 14-Year-Old Girl
Mumbai, 5th November 2024: A 41-year-old manager from a diamond factory in Gujarat passed away in a Mumbai hotel on November 2, during an alleged sexual assault on a 14-year-old girl employed at the same factory, according to police reports.
Authorities indicated that the manager had been providing financial assistance to the girl’s family, which included her mother, a father who is paralyzed, and an unemployed brother. It is alleged that he coerced the girl by threatening to withdraw this support, leading her to accompany him to Mumbai, where he sexually assaulted her.
“As he frequently visited their home to check on her ailing father, the family had developed a relationship of trust with him,” a police officer noted. The girl had taken up employment at the factory under her mother’s insistence.
The family felt secure allowing her to spend time with him and his family,” the officer added. On October 29, the manager visited her home, stating he would be travelling to Mumbai with his family and requested permission to take the girl along. He picked her up around 9:30 am that Saturday to leave for Mumbai. The police reported that upon checking into the hotel, he falsely identified the girl as his daughter, using a forged Aadhaar card.
A senior officer stated, “It appears the manager had begun exploiting her at the factory, threatening to withdraw financial support and demanding repayment of the money if she disclosed the incidents.”
On the evening of the incident, the manager reportedly consumed a sexual enhancement drug in the hotel room and subsequently collapsed while assaulting the girl. The minor then sought help from the hotel staff, who alerted the police. The man was transported to JJ Hospital but was pronounced dead during treatment. Following this, police reached out to the girl’s family, and her mother arrived in Mumbai on Sunday, leading to her statement being recorded and an official case being filed under relevant legal provisions, including those in the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO).
A senior police official confirmed, “We will thoroughly investigate this matter and prepare a comprehensive report for the court since the accused is deceased.”
