Thane: 24 men arrested for raping minor girl since January

The police have not yet found the video the girl claims was used to blackmail her. Representation pic

At least 33 people, including two minors, have been booked, of which 24 have been arrested for allegedly raping a 15-year-old girl. According to the survivor's complaint, a friend raped her and filmed it, and started blackmailing her in January 2021, saying he would make the video viral. Since then, she claimed, many of his friends also raped her.

The two minors allegedly involved in the crime have been sent to a juvenile home. The police are yet to recover the video which the girl claimed was used to blackmail her. All the accused are between 16 years and 25 years of age. The police are looking for the others mentioned in the complaint.

The survivor had approached Manpada police station with her family on Wednesday and complained against 33 persons for allegedly raping her with the threat of making the video viral. According to her complaint, in January 2021, one of her friends raped her and filmed it, and then started blackmailing her, saying he would make it viral.

After this, many of his friends blackmailed her with the video and sexually assaulted her again and again. According to the girl, this went on from January to September 2021. She then told her mother about it.

The girl claims she was first raped by a minor known to her. Representation pic

The Manpada police registered a case on Wednesday night against 29 persons under IPC Sections 376 (rape), 376N (committing rape on same women), 376 (3) (rape of women under 16), 376 (D) (Gang rape) and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The survivor claimed she was assaulted in Dombivli, Murbad and Navi Mumbai.

Police speak

After she registered the complaint, the top brass of the Thane police immediately swung into action and started rounding up the accused. Additional Police Commissioner Thane (East Region) Dattatray Karale said, "As soon as the complaint was registered, we formed four dedicated teams to look into the matter and rounded up 24 persons and other 2 minors. Most of the accused are known to the girl". The search for the remaining accused is on. "After the accused were produced in Kalyan sessions court they were sent to police custody till September 29 while the two minors will be taken to the Bhiwandi Remand Home," said another police officer.

33
No. of people who have been booked in the rape case