Over 30 people have been charged with gang-raping a 15-year-old girl multiple times over a nine-month period near Mumbai, in a case that has shaken Maharashtra to its core. The girl has identified 33 assailants, 24 of whom have been apprehended. Two minors were also detained.
The tragic storey began in January, when the girl’s friend is accused of raping her and filming the crime. He blackmailed her and raped her again using the video.
He allegedly shared the video with a large number of people, including friends and acquaintances, who all used it to blackmail the teen.
According to the police, the girl was gang-raped multiple times and in various locations near Mumbai by the group.
“It all started in January, when the girl’s lover raped her and videotaped the incident. On the basis of that video, he began blackmailing her. Later, his friends and acquaintances gang-raped her at least four to five times in the district, including Dombivili, Badlapur, Murbad, and Rabale “Dattatray Karale, Additional Commissioner of Police (East Region), stated.
The girl approached the police last night and is currently being treated in the hospital. Her harrowing account resulted in the arrest of 24 men. According to the police, she knew almost all of the attackers.
Some of the accused are thought to be members of a political party.
The charges have been listed by the police under the strict Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act.
The case has sparked public outrage and piqued the interest of political parties, who have demanded the harshest punishment for those who assaulted the teen.