Protest outside Mumbai Police Commissioner office against arrest of two men in rape case

The protesters alleged that the two men, brothers Anil and Nilesh Chouhan, were not involved in the incident and claimed to have CCTV footage to show the duo was elsewhere around the time of the crime. The police, however, said they have CCTV footage of the duo in the area around the time of the incident.

Jagdev Chouhan, the father of the two accused, said he met joint commissioner of police (law & order) Vishwas Nangre-Patil on Wednesday evening along with other people from his locality. “We informed him that our sons are not involved in the crime. He then called up the local police and asked them to ensure proper investigation was carried out in the case,” Chouhan said.

Talking to The Indian Express, Chouhan claimed to have a CCTV footage in which the two men are seen in a saloon, where they work, at 5pm on Tuesday. “The rape took place at 4.30pm in the central suburbs while the duo is in a Vile Parle saloon at 5pm. How is that possible?” Chouhan, however, refused to share the video saying he will do so at an appropriate time.

An officer from the local police station said that on several occasions the timing in the CCTV footage provided by the kin of the accused was found to be incorrect. “We will be going through the footage again. However, based on whatever has emerged in our investigation so far, we are convinced about the involvement of the two brothers,” the officer said. The officer further added that it has emerged in the investigation that one of the brothers knew the victim prior to the incident.

The incident took place last Tuesday when two persons entered the residence of the woman and raped her at knife point. The woman in her statement said that the duo also took a video of the crime using which they blackmailed her against informing anyone about the incident. The police had registered an FIR in the case last Wednesday.