Five tribals held for robbery, gangrape

BHIWANDI: Twenty-four hours after a robbery and gangrape case was filed at Bhiwandi taluka police station, the cops traced and nabbed the five suspects based on sandal prints found at the crime scene.
The police said the suspects-Kishor Lakhat (20), Avinash Jadhav (20), Harshad Marle (30), Gurunath Bari (23) and Ganesh Pawar (19)-belong to a tribal community in Bhiwandi rural. The police seized a country-made pistol and three knives from them.

In her complaint, the 20-year-old survivor told the police that on Monday, around 9.30pm, when she and her friend were returning home from the pipeline area on his bike, Lakhat and Jadhav who were brandishing knives accosted them in the isolated Bhadwad area. She told the police that even as the duo snatched Rs 15,000 from her friend, three others joined them. The men then held a knife to her friend's throat and raped her, she said in her complaint.

As it was dark, she could not see their faces, she said.

It was only the next day that the woman mustered the courage to approach the police for help. As she could not describe the accused, the police rushed to the crime scene and found sandal prints there.

Sub-inspector Chetan Patil of Bhiwandi taluka police said, "After roping in informers and an extensive probe, we zeroed in on Lakhat. We reached his residence and matched the sandal print found at the spot with his footwear."

"During interrogation, Lakhat admitted to the crime and spilled the beans on his friends, who were soon arrested," added Patil.

The police claimed that in the past too, the five accused would target couples on the route, but no one had complained against them. The police have requested those targetted by the accused to come forward and file a complaint.

The five arrested accused were produced before a Bhiwandi court on Wednesday, which remanded them into police custody till January 30.