29 people, including minors, gang rape minor girl in Thane over months

Mangalore Today News Network / NDTV

Thane, Sep 23, 2021:  In a horrific incident that has come to light, a 15-year-old girl in Maharashtra’s Thane district was gang-raped by 29 people, including two minors, for several months between January and September.

 

The accused had been using videos of the repeated assault to blackmail and rape her again. The incident came to light when the minor victim finally approached the Manpada police station in Dombivali on Wednesday night.

Additional Commissioner of Police, Dattatray Karale said, “The victim approached the Manpada Police station and narrated the ordeal she had been going through for past nine months. She has named 29 persons involved in the sexual assault on her which happened between January and September 22 this year.”

“We immediately conducted a special drive and rounded up 23 accused, including two minors," said the ACP, who further added, "The accused involved were known to the victim and had sexually assaulted her on various occasions at Dombivali, Rabale, Murbad, Badlapur and few other places.”

Sections of gang rape and POCSO (Protection of Children against Sexual Offences Act) have been slapped on the accused men. “ACP Sonali Dole has been appointed as the Investigating Officer in the case and DCP Sachin Gunjal and myself will closely supervise the case,” he added.

Police officials further revealed that one of the accused who was her friend had sexually assaulted her in January and also shot a video of the incident.

This video then reached the other accused persons who blackmailed her and further assaulted her repeatedly on various occasions. The victim has now been hospitalised and her condition is said to be stable.

Meanwhile, the police have also zeroed in on the spots where the victim was assaulted and forensic teams have also been called in for investigation.

Electronic evidence is also being gathered by the investigation team, including the video that was shot by the accused friend of the victim. Most of the accused involved are from the same locality and were known to the victim and her friend, who is the prime accused in the case, who allegedly circulated the video he had shot initially.

Courtesy:India Today