The investigations into the rape of an eight-year-old girl in Charkop, allegedly by her father, has revealed that he had also forced his second wife into prostitution, the police said. It was because of this that she ran away.

“We are searching for the accused’s second wife, Saraswati (name changed). Her testimony would help us in gathering more evidence against the victim’s father,” said Sanjay Bannerjee, deputy commissioner of police, zone XI.

According to Charkop police officials, the accused Satish Das (33) married Saraswati, who was from Kerala, in 2008. She left him after 18 months.

“Saraswati was fed up that he would solicit clients for her,” said an officer requesting anonymity.

When Hindustan Times visited the garage at Andheri (West), which is owned by the victim’s grandfather, the latter refused to talk.

Asked if he would be taking the victims’ custody, he said: “It is my lookout and I will take care of her.”

During investigations, it was learnt that the other two accused — Shabbir Sayed and Ashok Sahu — had allegedly raped the victim several times.

While Sayed works as a tailor in the colony where the victim and the accused’s father had been residing with her grand parents, Sahu is employed as a watchman in the same complex.

“Sahu has confessed of having intercourse with the girl around 10-12 times. After the girl was brought to Mumbai, the victim and her father lived in Sayed’s house for two months. Sayed lives at a slum in Kandivli (West). It was during this period that Sayed raped the girl,” said an officer.

Even after they shifted to the grandparents’ house, the girl’s father would take her to visit Sayed every day.