Navi Mumbai: Two held for raping woman they befriended on social media platform

Unit two of the crime branch of Navi Mumbai police arrested two friends who were fleeing the city after raping a woman they befriended on a social media platform. The police claimed to have solved it within 12 hours of the crime taking place.

The arrested accused were identified as Ayub Idris Khan, 21 and Shahbaz Jahir Aali, 20, both are residents of Taloja and natives of Madhya Pradesh.

Police said that the 21-year-old victim is a resident of Surat and she had come to Mumbai to meet one of the accused on his birthday. “They befriended her on a social media platform and the girl visited the city following a request from one of the accused,” said Giridhar Gore, senior police inspector of the crime branch. He added that the victim woman is a teacher.

According to police, the duo took her to a house in Taloja and offered beer. “One of the accused also made vulgar comments and raped her,” said another official.

However, the victim managed to flee from their grip and called police helpline 100 and narrated the ordeal. Soon after her complaint, the police formed multiple teams. “Based on the technical help, one team rushed at Lokmanya Tilak Terminus and boarded a running train by risking their life,” said the official. He added they chased them on the train and caught them. Both the accused confessed to the crime.