The case against the accused men in the Shakti Mills gangrape case got stronger with another girl coming forward and alleging sexual assault by them while she was with her male friend at the spot late in July. This has validated cops’ suspicion about the gang having committed similar crimes on other couples and women at their deserted den.
The girl, a resident of Mulund, filed a complaint with the Bhandup police on Monday, which registered an FIR and transferred the case to the NM Joshi Marg police station in Lower Parel.
Interestingly, the girl had been reported missing by her mother since July 30 and the incident came to light when the police were recording the girl’s statement as a part of protocol after she returned a month later. The girl has now identified Salim, Vijay Jadhav and Kasim Bangali, who were earlier arrested in connection with the gangrape of the photo-journalist. The new complainant also identified two others who were not involved in the earlier gangrape — Mohammed Ashfaq Dawood Shaikh and a minor. While the minor has been arrested, Shaikh is on the run.
According to sources from the Bhandup police station, the 19-year-old girl had gone with her male friend to the spot on July 30 around 7.30 pm after work. Some of the accused then intercepted the couple, thrashed and gagged the male friend. Three men first raped the girl and three others joined later in a manner resembling the August 22 gangrape. “The traumatised girl and her male friend then went to Chhattisgarh to stay with the latter’s acquaintance in a train heading to West Bengal to recover from the shock. Her family panicked and then filed a missing report. A few days later, the girl called her mother and told where she was and assured her that she was safe and said that she was coming home soon,” said a police officer.
The girl came back on Monday and the mother then updated the Bhandup police about her arrival following which the police summoned the girl to the police station to record her statement as a part of routine procedure. “After the statement, the girl said she had something more to say and broke down and narrated the incident,” senior PI Shrirang Nadgauda said.
The girl comes from a humble background and works as a telephone operator in a private firm.