Thane, 27 September
Two more persons were arrested on Monday in Thane city for alleged blackmailing and repeated gang-rape of a 15-year-old girl, with all 33 accused named as the victim, police said.
After the two were caught, the number of people arrested rose to 31, while two minors were also detained earlier in the case, sparking widespread outrage.
Police said that four teams, numbering 33, were formed to trace the accused and out of these, the last two people wanted in the case were arrested on Monday.
Thane Police has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by a woman officer to probe the gang rape case.
The crime came to light on September 22, when the victim lodged a complaint at the Manpada police station in Dombivli, a remote suburb of Mumbai.
Police said the girl was allegedly raped several times between January and September this year at different places in Thane district, including Dombivli, Badlapur, Murbad and Rabale.
Based on the girl’s complaint, the Manpara police on Wednesday booked all the accused under IPC sections 376 (rape), 376(n) (repeated rape), 376(d) (gang rape), 376(3) Case registered. (rape of a woman below the age of sixteen years) and the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act.
He had told the police that some of the accused blackmailed the minor girl by threatening to circulate pictures and videos of sexual assault recorded on her mobile phone.
Police said he finally mustered up the courage to speak to his mother on September 22, following which a crime was registered and investigation started. – PTI