Surat: Two persons were booked at Puna police station on Tuesday for gang-raping a 16-year-old girl for over one-and-a-half years. The girl,
who is now 18, was given soft drink laced with an intoxicating material by the accused in 2016. They raped her when she fell unconscious after drinking it. The accused made a video of the girl which they used to blackmail her and continued raping her until last week.
Omprakash Meghwal and his relative Ruparam alias Rupesh Meghwal were booked under the Indian Penal Code Sections 365 (kidnapping), 344 (wrongful confinement), 376(d) (gang rape), 376(2) (n) (repetitive rape), 376(2)(j) (rape after intoxication) and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act. The survivor was kept in wrongful confinement in Pali district of Rajasthan from where she escaped and reached her uncle’s house in her native village. She was brought back to the city where she lodged a police complaint after returning to the city. Police are yet to make any arrests. Both accused have escaped to their native place in Rajasthan.
The rape survivor alleged that she was harassed by the accused, who lived in neighbouring house whenever she went out to buy groceries. Ruparam called her to his house one day and offered a soft drink. She fell unconscious on consuming it. On regaining consciousness, she realized that she had been raped by Ruparam and Omprakash who also threatened to upload her video on social media if she complained to anyone. They later began to call her often and raped her.
They took the girl to Rajasthan at the native place of the accused a few months ago and the duo raped her at a relative’s place. The accused later shifted the girl to the residence of the accused and continued raping her. A week ago she reached her uncle’s house.
“We are yet to make any arrests in the case. Police teams are in search of the accused. They will be arrested soon,” police said.