Mumbai: Two men from Ghatkopar have been arrested for allegedly repeatedly raping a 28-year-old married woman, who was their neighbour, over a period of one year. The identities of the accused and woman have been concealed, given the sensitivity of the case. Quoting the victim, the police said that she didn't narrate her ordeal as the accused threatened to send her nude photos to her husband and others.
On March 22, 2022, when the victim's husband had gone to work, one of the accused came to her house and raped her.
Woman forced to strip on video call
Three days later, he made a video call to the woman and forced her to strip, with the threat of apprising her husband of the rape incident. He then took screenshots of the video call while the woman was without clothes.
In May, he showed the obscene photos to another accused, who was his friend and stayed in the same neighbourhood. The latter then raped the woman and subsequently the duo repeated the abhorrent act on multiple occasions.
Husband witnesses wife's emotional breakdown
The matter finally surfaced in June when the victim's husband noticed her changed behavior and prodded her to reveal the source of her worry. She finally broke down and narrated the entire chain of events.
On June 9, the woman along with her husband filed a police case against the duo. The victim's medical examination corroborated her allegations and subsequently the main accused was apprehended the very next day. Alerted by his arrest, the second accused went absconding, but was caught after an extensive search operation.
The police have got hold of all the videos, images and text messages that the duo had on their electronic devices. The incriminating evidence has been sent to the forensics as part of technical investigation for the chargesheet.
A case has been registered against them under sections 376 (rape), 354A (sexual harassment), 354B (assaults or uses criminal force to any woman or abets act with intention of disrobing or compelling her to be naked), 354C (voyeurism), 509 (insult the modesty of a woman), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 34 (common intent) of the Indian Penal Code.
Both of them were remanded to police custody till Wednesday.
