2020 rape uncovered in Gujarat as son fails bone marrow match with dying father

What started as a desperate race to save a man’s life from blood cancer ended up cracking open a years-long rape investigation involving a former BJP councillor’s husband in Gujarat’s Morbi.

After doctors advised a bone marrow transplant for the man, his son was tested as a potential stem cell donor. The reported genetic mismatch between father and son prompted the man’s wife to disclose an alleged sexual assault dating back to 2020, as per PTI.

Police have since registered a case against the husband of a former BJP councillor of Morbi Nagarpalika. The accused has not been arrested and police are searching for him.

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A ₹1 lakh loan and an alleged assault

The woman knew the accused through his business in women’s clothing, according to her complaint. In 2020, she allegedly borrowed ₹1 lakh from him to help pay for her husband’s treatment.

She told police that she was unable to repay the money. The accused allegedly used the situation to pressure and sexually assault her.

"The complainant said that the accused raped her repeatedly in 2020 after she failed to return ₹1 lakh borrowed from him for the cancer treatment of her husband," deputy superintendent of police J M Aal told news agency PTI.

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The bone marrow test

The woman’s complaint was filed several years after the alleged incident. Police said the delay was linked to the circumstances surrounding her husband’s medical treatment.

In blood cancer cases, doctors may recommend a stem cell transplant. A child can sometimes donate stem cells to a parent because they share genetic material, but doctors first need to check if they are compatible.

In this case, police said the reported mismatch between the father and son raised questions about the child’s biological parentage.

Asked about the five-year delay in filing the rape complaint, the DySP said that when medical tests seemed to show that the complainant’s husband was not the father of their child, she told him about the alleged rape in 2020 and then filed the police complaint.

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Police seek DNA test

As it stands, police are pushing forward with a formal scientific investigation to back up the victim's account. DySP Aal said, “We are now planning to carry out DNA tests. We will approach the court seeking permission for the same.”

Police said they are collecting other evidence as part of the investigation and will proceed with further legal action based on the findings.

Morbi, along with eight other municipalities in Gujarat, was upgraded to municipal corporation status on January 1, 2025.