A 22-year-old boy was arrested on Saturday after he allegedly raped his 46-year-old biological mother in Patan, Gujarat. The accused raped his mother while she was sleeping in the house, as reported by the Times of India. According to police, the accused in the case raped his mother on Thursday night around 1 am. He entered the mother’s room, drunk and pretending to drink water and then forced himself upon her. Based on the reports, the police quoted the complainant and said that he also gagged her mouth while raping her on Thursday. The police also said that the mother’s shouting and cry for help were not noticed by the neighbours as their fights were very common.

The boy was addicted to watching pornography and used watch obscene videos in front of his mother and sister. He had also asked for sexual favours from his mother in the past. The woman said in a statement that she was deeply shocked at her son’s behaviour. After garnering courage, the woman told her husband who is a mason. The husband made a call to his elder son and he advised to lodge a police complaint. The police have arrested the accused and an FIR has been lodged against him under Sections 376 and 504 of the Indian Penal Code. The police have sent the woman for medical examination. Further investigation in the case is underway.

Earlier today, Union Minister Santosh Gangwar in a controversial statement said that one-or-two cases of rape in a country as big as India should not be hyped. “Such incidents (rape cases) are unfortunate. However, sometimes you can’t stop them. Government is vigilant everywhere, investigations are being conducted. In a nation as big as India, one or two incidents of rape should not be hyped,” he said.

Incest rape – rape by a family member like a brother or father – is widely acknowledged as one of the most under-reported crime. According to data accessed from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), the number of cases reported on incest rape in India, has increased by 43% from 346 cases reported in 2012 to 489 in 2013. The number of victims has increased from 350 to 501 in one year (between 2012 to 2013) and the maximum number of victims are minors, aged between 14 to 18 years.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 22, 2018 01:30 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).