Thane police arrests three for gangrape of 16-year-old girl

The Thane police on Sunday arrested three persons, including a 20-year-old, for allegedly gang-raping a 16-year-old girl. The girl had met the 20-year-old main accused through Instagram and the former invited her to a friend’s place where he along with two of his friends allegedly raped her.

An officer said the incident took place on Saturday in Thane. The 16-year-old girl, a student of class 10, became friends with the main accused through Instagram. The accused then asked the girl to meet him, police said. Once they met, the accused took her in an auto-rickshaw to his friend’s residence where two more friends were also there. According to the complaint by the victim, the three raped her after which she went home and later approached the police.

Acting on her statement, the local crime branch arrested the three accused. The accused were arrested under section 376 (gangrape) of the India Penal Code (IPC) and Protection of Children From Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The three accused are Thane residents and worked at an event management company.

“All three accused were sent for medical tests and will be presented in Bhiwandi court. Further investigation is underway,” said Madan Ballal, senior inspector of the local police station where the FIR was transferred.