Dombivli rape case: A 15-year-old girl was allegedly gangraped by 29 people, including two minors, over the past nine months near Mumbai, the police said on Thursday.
As per reports, the girl's boyfriend had allegedly raped her and circulated the video of it among his friends. The police said that the friends of the accused allegedly blackmailed the minor with the video and gangraped her. Since nine months, the girl was allegedly getting assaulted by several accused men, according to the police the number of accused men is at 29.
#UPDATE Dombivali rape case | 26 accused have been arrested so far, search for three others is underway. Case has been registered against the 29 accused under IPC Sec 376 (Rape), 376 (N), 376 (3), 376 (D) (A) and POCSO Act: Thane Police
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Additional Commissioner of Police, Dattatray Karale said, "It all started when the lover of the girl raped her in January and made a video of the incident. He started blackmailing her on the basis of that video."
"Later on, his friends and acquaintances gang-raped her at least on four to five occasions at different places, including Dombivili, Badlapur, Murbad and Rabale in the district," he added.
The girl reportedly lodged a complaint recently after which 26 persons were arrested in the case. The accused persons are also said to be connected with a political party, as per the police. The case against the unidenfied accused men was filed on Wednesday. They are charged under several sections of the Indian Penal Code for sexual assault, gangrape, repeated rape and "rape on a woman under sixteen years of age" and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, an official said.
Politicians Vidya Chavan, Chitra Wagh and Devendra Fadnavis raised their voice against the harrowing crime. Chavan and Wagh reached the Manpada police station to demand justice for the survivor. NCP MLA Chavan staged a protest outside the police station and demanded the accused persons be handed over to them so that they can teach them a lesson.