32-year-old woman allegedly gang-raped by four in Kurla

Mumbai: A 32-year-old woman who was scouting to reach the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) late on Monday was allegedly gang-raped by group of four men near the railway tracks along the harbour line in Kurla’s Sable Nagar. The Nehru Nagar police have arrested four persons in connection with the brutal sexual assault.

The accused, identified as Sonu Tiwari, Siddharth Wagh, Nilesh Bharaskar and Shrikant Bhogale were arrested from Kurla and Vikhroli in connection with the incident.

The woman, a Worli resident was on her way to Katni in Madhya Pradesh and had come to Kurla by a local train. On reaching the Kurla bridge, she asked a passerby for directions to Lokmanya Tilak Terminus and followed him on the Harbour Line route

“While she was on her way, she went to relieve herself in the bushes, where two accused persons were consuming drugs. They dragged her inside the bushes and raped her along with two others,” said an officer of Nehru Nagar police station.

The other two accused, who were passing by on a two-wheeler, stopped at the spot and also allegedly raped the woman. The gang also robbed her of `3,000 cash and snatched her gold chain worth `25,000 before fleeing from the spot. The officials said that the survivor walked some distance and sought help from a local woman. The police was alerted soon after.

The first break through came after the helping local identified one of the accused, who was following the victim after she was freed.

The police apprehended him from the locality and was questioned about the identities of others who were apprehended subsequently. Police said that the victim is a widow and has two children and stays at Worli.

The four have been booked under sections 376 (rape), 377 (unnatural sex), 354 (outraging modesty) as per the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and have been remanded to police custody for further investigation in the case.