The Thane police have started investigation into the alleged kidnapping and gangrape of a 19-year-old woman from Ulhasnagar, who delivered a boy at KEM hospital in Parel on Sunday. The police said the incident came to light after the victim was admitted to the hospital for delivery on Saturday night and could not give the name of her husband to hospital authorities. The doctors advised the woman to register a complaint after she revealed to them that four persons had kidnapped her from near her home and raped her in a moving car nine months ago.

A case was filed with the Bhoiwada police, but has now been transferred to Vithalwadi police station in Thane as the incident allegedly took place in its jurisdiction, at Kansai in Ambarnath. “In her complaint, the victim said that she was forced into a car by four persons while returning home from college and lost consciousness after they gave her an injection. She was then allegedly raped,” said Chandrakant Deshmukh, police inspector from Vithalwadi police station.

The Thane police have recorded the victim’s statement and are in the process of taking down her family’s statement. Sources said the woman was unable to answer when asked why she had not filed a complaint earlier.