18-year-old gang-raped by brother-in-law, two others in Nashik

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

The incident took place in the Panchavati area of Nashik between 10 am on Wednesday and 5 pm on Thursday, the police said, adding that during her 31-hour ordeal, the survivor was also thrashed by the accused, causing her to become unconscious a few times. She managed to escape from their clutches and approached the police later, PTI reported.

While two of the accused have been arrested, the woman's 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 ago. As she was still a minor at the time, her family lodged a complaint against her husband at MIDC Police Station in the Andheri area of Mumbai. A case was then registered against him and he is currently in a jail in Mumbai, PTI reported.

Recently, the woman's brother-in-law called her to Nashik, where he stays, 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 officer said.

There, her brother-in-law and the other accused 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, following which she fell unconscious, her complaint stated.

When the woman 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 and she lost her consciousness again. Her ordeal continued till 5 pm that day, her complaint further stated.

The teen also alleged 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 fled. She reached the Nashik Road suburb of the city and lodged a complaint with the police late on Thursday.

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

The police also suspect the involvement of two more persons - one named Gopya, aged around 30 years, and another whose identity has not been established yet - in the crime, they said.

The Nashik Road Police have transferred the case to 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) was filed on Friday, the police said.

(With PTI inputs)