Father’s cousin held for raping 14-year-old over five months

Rajkot: A 14-year-old girl was allegedly raped over several months by a relative who was living in her family's house here, police said on Thursday. The abuse came to light after the minor complained of stomach pain, prompting her father to question her. Police have arrested the accused.The victim's father lodged a complaint at B Division police station against his 37-year-old cousin. According to the complaint, the girl told her father that his cousin had been raping her for the past five months whenever other family members were not around. The complainant also alleged that the accused had been giving the girl contraceptive pills, in an attempt to prevent pregnancy and hide the abuse.Police inspector Sudhir Rana told TOI that after learning about the pills, the girl's father sent a WhatsApp message to his cousin questioning him about them. Police have seized the accused's mobile phone and will retrieve the WhatsApp chats as part of the investigation.Preliminary inquiries revealed that the accused's wife had left with their four children eight months ago. The victim's family, originally from Ujjain in MP, have been living in Rajkot. Both the accused and the girl's father work as labourers. Police seized the accused's clothes and collected evidence from the crime scene.Police registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.