New Delhi: A minor girl has lodged a police complaint saying she was gang-raped multiple times over a period of eight months in Maharashtra’s Thane district. Out of the 33 persons that the 15-year-old survivor has named, police have arrested 24 persons and detained two minors.
Based on the girl’s complaint, the Manpada police in Dombivli registered a case on the night of Wednesday, September 22, against 33 persons under sections 376 (rape), 376 (n) (repeated rape), 376 (d) (gang-rape), 376 (3) (rape on a woman under sixteen years of age) of the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
“Twenty-four of those arrested were produced in a local court. Twenty-two of them were remanded in police custody until September 29, and the two minors were sent to a juvenile home,” Sachin Gunjal, deputy commissioner of police (Zone 3), was quoted by Indian Express as having said.
Additional Commissioner of Police (East region) Dattatray Karale told reporters that the alleged gang rape took place between January 29 and September 22 this year.
Express has reported police as having said that an aunt of the minor felt something was wrong and upon prodding, learned of her ordeal on Wednesday.
After that, the girl’s family nudged her to call an accused to a particular spot and followed her in a vehicle, which then broke down midway. The girl, however, had already sent her GPS location to her family and police used it to locate her. Two men who were with her were arrested, however, the girl had, by then, been sexually assaulted again, reported Express.
Karale told reporters that the girl’s boyfriend raped her in January, made a video and began blackmailing her. “Subsequently his friends and acquaintances raped her on at least four or five occasions at various places in the district including Dombivli, Badlapur, Murbad and Rabale,” Karale said.
A special investigation team (SIT) has been formed under Assistant Commissioner of Police Sonali Dhole to probe the case, he added.
NDTV has reported that some of the accused are associated with a political party but has not mentioned which.
Politics
Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis demanded that the Maharashtra government make special efforts to prevent such crimes.
“An atmosphere of fear is prevailing in the state. The increase in the number of such incidents is worrisome,” the former chief minister said.
“Such an incident taking place in Dombivli which is known as a peaceful city is very shocking. We demand that the government immediately intervene,” Fadnavis added.
Shiv Sena leader and deputy chairperson of the Maharashtra Legislative Council Neelam Gorhe said the incident should not be politicised.
The survivor should be protected, given counselling and rehabilitated, she said.
Earlier this month, the Shiv Sena-led state government had come under fire when a 34-year-old woman died after being brutally raped and assaulted inside a stationary tempo in Mumbai’s Sakinaka area. One person was arrested in the case.
(With PTI inputs)