Nashik woman gang-raped by brother-in-law, others during 31-hour ordeal; 2 held

Nashik: An 18-year-old woman was allegedly gang-raped by her brother-in-law and two others in Nashik city of Maharashtra on the pretext of arranging a guarantor to secure bail for her jailed husband, police said.

The incident took place in Panchavati area of the city between 10 am on January 22 and 5 pm on January 23, they said, adding that during her 31-hour ordeal, she was also thrashed by the accused, causing her to become unconscious a few times, but she managed to escape from their clutches.

While two of the accused have been arrested, her brother-in-law, who is elder to her husband, is absconding. Two more persons are suspected to be involved in the incident, they said.

As per the complaint lodged by the woman, she got married a few months back and since she was still a minor at that time, a complaint was lodged by her family members against her husband at the MIDC police station in Mumbai's Andheri. A case was then registered against him and he is currently in a jail in Mumbai.

Recently, her brother-in-law called her to Nashik, where he resides, on the pretext of arranging a guarantor for her husband's bail and release from the prison. Accordingly, she reached Nashik around 8.30 am on Wednesday, a police official said.

Her brother-in-law and other accused then took her to an open ground in Panchavati area under the pretext of meeting her husband's guarantor. They also offered her food, but after she refused to accept it, they tied her to a tree. Around 1.30 pm, they beat her up and one of them raped her, due to which she fell unconscious, the complaint said.

When she regained consciousness around 7.30 am on Thursday, she found it difficult to talk and walk. She tried to escape, but the accused thrashed her again, due to which fell unconscious once again. This continued till 5 pm that day, it added.

In her complaint, she also said that when the trio was consuming liquor, the woman told them that she wanted to answer nature's call. They allowed her to go, but asked one of the accused to go with her so that she does not escape. However, she pushed him aside and ran away. She reached the Nashik Road suburb of the city and lodged a complaint with the police late Thursday night.

According to police, two accused, Amit Vijay Damle and Gopal Rajendra Nagolkar, both aged 25, have been arrested, while a search is on for her brother-in-law.

Two more persons, one named Gopya, aged around 30 years, and another unidentified, are suspected to be involved in the crime, they said.

The Nashik Road police registered a case and transferred it to the Panchavati police station.

A case under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 70 (1) (gang-rape), 64 (rape), 69 (sexual intercourse by employing deceitful means), 74 (assault or use of criminal force against woman), 115 (2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 3 (5) (common intention) on Friday, they said.