19-Year-Old Model Allegedly Gang-Raped in Moving Car in Kochi: The Case So Far

Four people have been arrested in the case. The police are probing whether they have a criminal history.

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A day after a 19-year-old model was allegedly gang-raped in a moving car in Kerala's Kochi, three men and a woman were arrested in connection with the case on Friday, 18 November.

Who are the accused? The three men – Vivek Sudhakaran (26), Nidhin Meghanathan (35), and TR Sudeep (34) – and a woman named Dimple Lamba, a 21-year-old Rajasthan native, were sent to judicial custody. Meanwhile, the Kerala Police will approach the court and seek their custody soon, an official told The Quint. 

What we know: The teen model from Kochi had visited a local pub with Dimple, her friend who is also a model, on the night of Thursday, 17 November. The latter introduced her to the other accused at the pub; the survivor's drink was allegedly spiked shortly after this.

The men then offered to drop her back home in Kakkanad, but Dimple didn't join them. The three men allegedly gang-raped the model while they circled around Kochi in the car for about 45 minutes. The survivor is undergoing treatment at Kalamassery Medical College.

What have the police said? "There are 4 accused in this case, we have arrested three men and one woman and have booked them under section 370 of the IPC. The accused woman is friends with the victim who helped other accused. We're awaiting medical reports to know if any drugs were given to the victim," CH Nagaraju, Commissioner of Police, Kochi City, told ANI.

The probe so far... A police official told The Quint that they were probing CCTV footage from the pub in question as well as the route the accused took. "We're investigating whether the accused have any criminal antecedents," the official said. The police are also investigating a human trafficking angle in the case. 

Reactions: Veena George, Kerala Minister of Health, Women and Child Development, said that the incident of a girl being gang-raped in Kochi is shocking.

"The incident is strongly condemned. Strict action will be taken against the culprits. I have given directions to ensure adequate treatment for the girl," the minister said.