Goa gangrape accused escapes police custody

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A man arrested in a gangrape case in Goa escaped from police custody in Panaji on Monday when he was taken to a TB hospital for treatment, police said.

Ishwar Makwana, along with two other men, was arrested from Madhya Pradesh by Goa Police, in May for allegedly raping a 20-year-old woman in presence of her male friend, at a Betalbatim Beach in South Goa district.

Since then, the accused had been lodged at a jail in Colvale, from where he was taken to the Panaji-based hospital when he fled, police said.

The three men were nabbed seven months ago after the victim filed an FIR, alleging them of rape and extortion.

The accused, according to the complainant, also filmed the act and threatened the woman and her friend of circulating the video on social media if they failed to pay them Rs 1 lakh.

The police first arrested Sanjeev Dhananjay Pal, a teacher by profession, who came to collect extortion money from the victim at Karmali railway station in north Goa. Following the investigation, police arrested the two other accused- Makhwana and Ram Santosh.

According to the police report, the trio have criminal background with several robbery cases registered against them in Indore.

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