Four persons were arrested on Friday night in Mumbai for allegedly raping and threatening a 13-year-old girl. The incident had taken place last Sunday (July 19) in the western suburb of Andheri.
The four — three of whom are activists of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena — were produced in court on Saturday, which sent them to three-day police custody.
The accused have been identified as Ganesh Bhatkal, Ganesh Kale, Narendra Solunke and Umesh Borade — all in the age group of 21 to 28. Bhatkal, Kale and Solunke are activists of the Raj Thackeray-led MNS. Party hoardings in the area, police said, also had their names.
They added that the girl, who hails from Nepal, works as a housemaid with a family in Andheri’s industrial development area. She was on her way to work with her 16-year-old sister on Sunday, when an Indica pulled up behind them and four men dragged the girls in.
They were then taken to a municipal garden in nearby Lok Bharti area, just a few metres from their house. The elder sister managed to flee but the 13-year-old was allegedly taken inside the watchman’s cabin. Bhatkal and Kale allegedly raped her there and threatened to kill her if she complained.
{{/usCountry}}They were then taken to a municipal garden in nearby Lok Bharti area, just a few metres from their house. The elder sister managed to flee but the 13-year-old was allegedly taken inside the watchman’s cabin. Bhatkal and Kale allegedly raped her there and threatened to kill her if she complained.
{{/usCountry}}Police said Solunke and Borade had only helped Kale and Bhatkal abduct the girls.
Talking about the girl’s family, senior police inspector of MIDC (Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation) police station Pradeep Suryawanshi said she has five sisters — the eldest two are married and live in Nepal.
The family has been living in Mumbai for the past 10 years. Their father had died five years ago.
“On Friday, the girl’s mother approached us and lodged a complaint against the four. Later that night we arrested them from their house in the Lok-Bharti area,” said Suryavanshi.
“We have sent the accused for medical tests and are waiting for the girl’s medical report. Bhatkal and Kale are booked for rape, while all four are booked for threatening and kidnapping the girls.”