The three accused have been sent to judicial custodyGHAZIABAD: Police arrested three men on Tuesday evening for allegedly raping a 19-year-old girl at her birthday party on August 11 and then again in a hotel the next day. The accused, including a friend of the survivor’s brother, allegedly spiked her drink and thrashed her when she tried to oppose them. Police identified the accused as Shekhar, a resident of Meerut, and Krishna and Arjun, both residents of Modinagar. Shekhar, a friend of the girl’s brother who died three months ago, lived in her neighbourhood earlier. He eloped with a girl he married two years ago, and they have been in Meerut since then. Police said the girl went to a restaurant on August 11 to meet Shekhar and celebrate her birthday. Shekhar reached the restaurant with his friend Krishna, but seeing heavy footfall in the restaurant, they decided to leave. Shekhar allegedly told the girl that he had arranged for a party at the garage of Arjun, another friend. So, they reached Arjun’s place on a bike. Yogender Kumar, SHO of Modinagar police station, told TOI that police came to know that Arjun, a mechanic, received a call from Shekhar, saying he was coming to his place with a guest. During interrogation, the accused told police that the girl cut a birthday cake in the garage, after which the four danced. Police said they offered her a spiked drink during celebrations, after which they raped her. Later on August 12 morning, the accused took the girl to Bijnor in a vehicle that belonged to Krishna. “They took a room in a hotel, where they raped her again. At around 2 pm, they dumped her in Modinagar and fled. The girl went back to her house,” the SHO said. Police said the girl knew Shekhar through her brother. “They had met several times. But over the past month, they had been talking to each other continuously,” he added. The girl’s father said the family tried to trace her when she did not return after her party and lodged a missing complaint on August 12. However, she returned on August 12 afternoon and told the family that she would sleep because she had partied all night. “Her behaviour had changed, and she was not talking to anyone. She didn’t take her meal for two days. After several requests, she narrated the incident to us on August 15. The accused beat her badly when she tried to oppose them, and after taking some drinks, she lost consciousness. On the next day, the accused recorded her video in the hotel, and we fear they will release it on social media,” he said. “My daughter was kidnapped by the accused for nearly 15 hours. Today, we took her to a doctor for counselling, and we will continue to take her for counselling,” he added. The SHO said that cops checked the accused’s phone but did not find any video clip related to the incident. But cops will send the phone to experts. Based on the family’s complaint, police booked the accused under IPC sections 376d (gang rape), 342 (punishment for wrongful confinement) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation). “We later sent them to judicial custody after producing them in front of the court,” the SHO added. FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIAFacebookTwitterInstagramKOO APPYOUTUBE
Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ghaziabad/ghaziabad-19-year-old-girl-gangraped-at-birthday-party-3-arrested/articleshow/93626780.cms
