3 rape minor in Mumbai, circulate video of the crime on WhatsApp

The police have seized the mobile phones of all the three accused, along which contains the clip of the crime

Three men, including a pharmacy student have been arrested by the Thane rural police for raping a minor and circulating the video on social media.

The crime took place on November 20, in one of the villages at Shahpur. (Pic for representation)

The police have seized the mobile phones of all the three accused, along which contains the clip of the crime.

One of the accused, Dhanaji Patil, 23, works a watchman, while the other, Bharat Walimbe, 24, works in a fabrication firm. The third accused, Nitin Patil, 22, has completed a diploma in pharmacy. The three have been sent to custody till February 15. A case has been lodged against all the accused under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and The Prevention Of Children from Sexual Offences act, 2012(POCSO).

The crime took place on November 20, in one of the villages at Shahpur.

Arun Phegade, assistant police inspector from Kinvali police station said, “A day prior to the crime, the class ten girl was playing outside her house, when she was approached by the three accused. The men lied about knowing a secret about the girl, and threatened her to meet them at a nearby forest. They also threatened to kill her and her parents.”

“Worried about the men revealing her secret or harming her or her parents, the girl went to meet the men the next afternoon. They took turns and raped her, shot the video of the crime, and circulated it on WhatsApp and social media,” Phegade said.

The survivor did not reveal about the crime to her family, as the accused had threatened to kill her and her family.

Phegade added, “A week back, one of the relatives of the girl alerted her father after having come across the rape video. When her father spoke to the survivor about the video, she disclosed everything. The girl and the accused have been sent for medical tests, the reports of which are awaited. The video of the crime has been sent to the forensic lab”.