Noida: 26-year-old woman gang-raped near shopping mall, blackmailed; key accused a ‘strongman’

The alleged gang-rape took place some time back but the complainant approached the cops on December 30 after repeated harassment by the accused.

The Noida Police in Uttar Pradesh on Monday said it has arrested three suspects allegedly involved in the rape of a 26-year-old woman near a shopping mall. Two other suspects, including the key accused, who is a local strongman, were still at large, the Noida Police said, reported news agency PTI.

The FIR was lodged at the Noida Sector 39 Police Station on December 30 after which an investigation took up and three of the accused were arrested.

The alleged gang-rape took place some time back but the complainant approached the cops on December 30 after repeated harassment by the accused, PTI quoted officials as saying.

“The FIR was lodged at the Sector 39 Police Station on December 30 after which an investigation took up and three of the accused were arrested,” a police spokesperson said.

“The arrested men have been identified as Rajkumar, Aazad and Vikas. Two other suspects identified as Ravi and Mehmi are at large and efforts are underway to arrest them,” the spokesperson said.

The complainant had immediately not reported the matter to the police because the perpetrators are "dabang" (strong men) people, the police said in a statement.

However, she approached the police on December 30 upon being blackmailed, and harassed by the accused once again, the statement added.

The police said the complainant's statement had been recorded per procedures after her last week's medical examination. The arrested accused have been produced in a local court which has remanded them in judicial custody, the police added.

"On the basis of the complaint given by a victim aged 26 years at Noida Police Station Sector 39 on December 30, 2023, a case has been registered against five accused in the gang rape incident in the name of providing job. In the course of the investigation, a medical examination of the victim was done within 24 hours. Statement of the victim under section 161 and section 164 of CrPC was recorded before the Hon'ble Court," news agency ANI quoted the police as saying.

"The accused arrested are Rajkumar, Azad and Vikas from Gautam Buddha Nagar. Accused Ravi and Mehmi are yet to be arrested, all possible efforts are being made to arrest them. Due to fear the victim did not complain at the time when the incident occurred, but the victim was being blackmailed by the accused. The victim reported on December 30, 2023, at Noida Police Station No. 39," the Noida Police said.