Citing the complaint, the official said that the accused befriended the girl in November 2023 and raped her multiple times saying he wanted to "marry" her and that caste or faith didn’t matter to him.

Later, he allegedly threatened to assault her if she didn’t continue the relationship, the official said. In her complaint, the girl said she stopped interacting with him after he asked her to visit a place of worship.

The official from the Kashigaon police station under the Mira Bhayander Vasai Virar police commissionerate said a case has been registered for rape under the Indian Penal Code and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.