A 15-year-old girl was allegedly gang-defiled by six persons at a shop in suburban Chembur in the wee hours of Wednesday and all the accused were arrested, police said. According to police, the incident took place around 2.30 am inside a lottery shop named ‘Harsha Enterprises’ located in Pestom Sagar Colony in Chembur.
The lottery shop, which was opened on Monday, is owned by underworld gangster Chhota Rajan’s associate Vimal Rattesar, they said, adding that one Rajesh Rajusth is the caretaker of the shop.
The alleged crime came to light after a rickshaw driver, who dropped a customer at a building located opposite the lottery shop early Wednesday morning, informed the police.
The alleged crime came to light after a rickshaw driver, who dropped a customer at a building located opposite the lottery shop early Wednesday morning, informed the police.
“When the driver heard a woman’s cries coming from inside the shop, he alerted the police and told them that something fishy was going on inside,” Senior Inspector of Tilak Nagar police station Bhagwat Sonavane said. A police van, which was on the night patrol in the area, rushed to the shop and caught all suspects.
During the course of investigation, police found that Rajusth had thrown a party late last night for his bodyguards and other people working for him to celebrate the launch of the lottery shop. The arrested accused had also brought liquor and made the minor victim consume alcohol and asked her to dance on some film numbers before sexually assaulting her, police said. “Police are trying to find out whether the girl had gone to the shop with one of the arrested accused, whom she knew, or whether she was forcefully brought there with the intention to gang r*pe,” Sonavane added.
Rajusth, along with his bodyguard Vinod was also present inside the shop till 1.30 am and police suspect their involvement in the crime. “Police are on the lookout for Rajusth and his bodyguard Vinod,”
Sonavane said. The victim has been admitted to Rajawadi hospital in Ghatkopar East and the accused were arrested under relevant sections of the IPC and Protection of Children from s*xual Offences (POSCO) Act. All the accused are residents of Lal Dongar area in Chembur Naka. Further investigation in the case on, police said.
