Former NEERI scientist held in Nagpur for raping 'adopted' girls

A retired scientist was arrested on the evening of 31 August for allegedly sexually abusing three minor girls over the years, whom he had reportedly adopted, the police said today.

The accused was identified as Maqsood Ansari (72), a former assistant scientist with National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) in Nagpur.

The accused was arrested following a complaint by the eldest girl aged 16. In her complaint with the police, the girl said she was being "exploited" since she was in Class I and the accused had also offered to marry her.

Another girl's age is around 11, while the youngest is six-and-half-years-old, the complaint said, adding that the accused has been allegedly exploiting the trio over the years and threatened them.

The accused has been charged with rape and under provisions of Protection of Children From Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Ansari, who was married at least twice but could not father a biological child, had apparently adopted the girls at a tender age on the pretext of bringing them up and educating them, the police said.

Neither of Ansari's two wives stayed with him. The accused had been forcing himself upon the girls regularly, they said.

After the eldest girl approached an NGO through a friend's family, the victims were rescued from their residence and shifted to a government shelter.

-With inputs from PTI