Three arrested for rape in Bhiwandi

Three young men have been arrested in connection with the alleged rape of a 17-year-old girl in the powerloom town of Bhiwandi near here, police said today.

The incident took place in a slum colony on Wednesday night, they said, adding the accused were identified as Imran Khan (24), Javed Shaikh (23) and the third one only as Kinna (20).

The trio barged into the house of the survivor when she was alone. While one of them, Khan, allegedly raped the teenager at a knife point, the other two kept a vigil outside the house, said senior inspector K D Jadhav of the Shanti Nagar police station.

Based on a complaint filed by the girl, police arrested the trio yesterday, he said.

They have been booked under IPC sections 376(d) (gang rape), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 506 (criminal intimidation), police said.

Relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) have also been invoked against the accused, they added.