A former scientist was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly sexually abusing his three 'adopted' minor daughters for several years in Nagpur, reported PTI. The Dhantoli police arrested Maqsood Ansari on charges of rape and under provisions of the Protection of Children From Sexual Offences Act.

The matter came to light after his eldest daughter approached a non-government organisation, alleging that she has been assaulted since she was in Class 1. The 16-year-old said the 72-year-old former assistant scientist with National Environmental Engineering Research Institute also asked her to marry him. The other two girls are 11-years-old and and six-and-half-years-old. According to The Times of India, the three were rescued from their house and are now in the custody of the NGO, Save The Children India. They are staying at a government shelter.

The police said that Ansari married at least twice, but neither of his wives lived with him and that he had no biological children. Zonal Deputy Commissioner of Police Deepali Masirkar told PTI, "The police will probe how the girls were adopted. They could not find any adoption documents while searching the house and the accused is not forthcoming about any legal information on the adoption."