32 booked for rape of 15-year-old girl over nine months in Dombivli

In her complaint on Wednesday, Manpada police said, the survivor alleged that it all started in January when a man she was in a relationship with, threatened to leak their private videos and forced her to have physical relations with some of his friends and acquaintances.

At least 32 people have been booked on charges of gang-raping a 15-year-old girl several times over a period of nine months in Maharashtra’s Thane district, police said on Thursday. Of the total, 24 have been arrested while two minors have been detained, and a special investigation team (SIT) has been formed to probe the case, they added.

The case, however, came to light earlier this month when the survivor approached a relative over the prolonged sexual abuse.

In her complaint on Wednesday, Manpada police said, the survivor alleged that it all started in January when a man she was in a relationship with, threatened to leak their private videos and forced her to have physical relations with some of his friends and acquaintances.

All the accused raped the girl, a resident of Dombivli (East), at various locations such as Dombivli, Murbad and Badlapur in Thane district and Rabale in Navi Mumbai on multiple occasions, officials familiar with the matter said.

The case, however, came to light earlier this month when the survivor approached a relative over the prolonged sexual abuse.

“The girl’s aunt approached a local social worker and decided to nab the accused. On Wednesday, six of the accused called the victim to a lodge in Murbad. She shared her live location and her aunt informed us,” an officer, who is part of the probe, said on condition of anonymity.

A police team rushed to the lodge and managed to arrest two persons. Based on their and the girl’s statement, police gradually began apprehending the remaining accused from Wednesday night onwards, the official said.

“A FIR was registered and the accused booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code as well as the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act,” Sachin Gunjal, deputy commissioner, zone III, Thane police, said.

Additional commissioner of police (East region) Datta Karale added that a SIT has been formed to investigate the matter.

The girl, meanwhile, was sent to a government hospital in Kalwa for medical examination.

In a statement, Thane guardian minister Eknath Shinde said: “I have spoken to the Thane Police commissioner and issued instructions to arrest whoever is involved in the offence.”

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Devendra Fadnavis said: “An atmosphere of fear is prevailing in the state. The increase in the number of such incidents is worrisome.”