Twenty-eight out of 33 accused have so far been arrested for allegedly raping a 15-year-old girl in Maharashtra's Thane district, Thane Police said on Friday, 24 September.
The First Information Report (FIR) registered by the Manpada police in Dombivli cited Indian Penal Code sections 376 (rape), 376(n) (repeated rape), 376(d) (gang-rape), 376 (3) (rape on a woman under sixteen years of age), as well as the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The horrific case of alleged sexual assault spanned over months, during which the accused reportedly raped the minor girl on multiple occasions.
One of the perpetrators of the abuse reportedly got in touch with the teenage girl on social media in January. For the next several months, his friends and acquaintances gang-raped the minor at least on four to five occasions at different places, including in Dombivli, Badlapur, Murbad and Rabale.
This is how the nightmarish events unfolded.
29 January 2021
As per the victim's complaint, a 'Facebook friend' called her at 9.30 am and asked her to meet him during the last week of January. The minor reportedly went to meet her online 'friend' around 11 am and saw that the main accused had come in an auto with someone else.
Boarding the auto, the victim thought she was going to a friend's house. However, on the way, another man hopped onto the auto and the vehicle went a different way.
During the ride, the main accused blackmailed the minor by showing her inappropriate pictures, which she had shared in December 2020 and later, sexually assaulted her, the complaint stated.
Another accused who was present, captured a video of the assault. On that day, the victim informed that four men gang-raped her.
20 February 2021
A month later, the main accused harassed the teenage girl by continuously calling her. However, she had deleted his number and did not pick up his calls.
The complaint stated that the accused had even tried calling her from different numbers.
21 February 2021
A day after the girl refused to meet the accused, he went to her house and blackmailed her with the video of the rape, threatening to show it to her family members if she did not comply with his demands.
Scared, the 15-year-old was coerced into going with the accused who took her to a flat in Dombivli. Nine boys were present in the establishment, as per the complaint.
The police complaint also noted that the girl was drugged – the preying men had made her drink milk with 'white powder' in it – and sexually assaulted repeatedly while she was unconscious.
When she gained consciousness, the girl stated in her complaint that her private parts were in pain. This cycle of abuse repeated till March, and the minor was taken to different flats, lodges, and farmhouses and assaulted.
5 May 2021
On 5 May, the girl's mother lodged a missing person's complaint after she did not return home at night. Once she was found, as per the complaint, she remained quiet even after suffering from months of alleged abuse.
According to the minor, she had seen the key perpetrator take money from one of the other accused.
16 May 2021
The next day, the prime accused created a WhatsApp group titled 'Friends'. The minor girl was also added to the group.
He shared the video he had shot in January in the group, and continued threatening her.
The alleged rapists followed the same pattern of abuse. They took the minor into a flat in Rabale, Navi Mumbai and forced her to drink alcohol. Eleven boys were reportedly present in the flat.
The sexual assault continued in different parts of Navi Mumbai till September.
22 September 2021
After eight months of sexual abuse, the girl disclosed what happened to her to her mother. Five men had gang-raped her on 22 September.
A complaint was consequently filed in Manpada police station.
Out of the 28 accused who have been arrested, two have been identified as minors. A Special Investigation Team has been constituted for the investigation. At present, a woman officer is investigating the matter.
Leader of Opposition, Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, took to Twitter on 23 September and condemned the crime, calling it "deplorable" and "disgusting".
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