14-yr-old gangraped in Haldwani

It was the lure of a holiday by her 17-year-old ‘friend’ that took an unfortunate 14-year-old Neeta (name changed) to Haldwani, where she was allegedly gangraped by three persons. The incident happened last week, police said. The three accused have been arrested and Neeta’s friend apprehended.

It was the lure of a holiday by her 17-year-old ‘friend’ that took an unfortunate 14-year-old Neeta (name changed) to Haldwani, where she was allegedly gangraped by three persons. The incident happened last week, police said. The three accused have been arrested and Neeta’s friend apprehended.

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The arrested persons have been identified as Mohammad Jamshed, 26, Mohammad Haroon, 25, and Harish. All three are taxi drivers from Haldwani, said a police officer. The apprehended girl also hails from Haldwani and knew the accused. Police are trying to find out whether she worked for an organised syndicate or if the accused had paid her for luring the victim to Haldwani.

The matter came to light when Neeta and her parents lodged a complaint at the Badarpur police station.

Neeta told the police that the 17-year-old had befriended her. On June 12, she asked Neeta to come with her to her hometown for a holiday. “Next day, they reached Haldwani and checked into Kamal Hotel. In the evening, three persons came to meet her friend and forced themselves on Neeta,” said the senior officer.

On June 15, she somehow escaped and reached home. “She narrated the incident to her parents who approached the police. Her medical examination has confirmed sexual assault. A case was registered,” the officer said.

On her instance, the team conducted a raid in Haldwani, apprehended her friend and nabbed the three accused.

The Juvenile Justice Board has sent the apprehended girl to an observation home and the three accused have been remanded to judicial custody.