15 held on rape charge in Nashik Dist

Nashik, Dec 25 (UNI) Police have arrested 15 youths in connection with an alleged rape on a 17-year-old tribal girl at village Khirkade in Peth taluka of the district on Sunday night.

While one of them was nabbed on that night itself, the 14 others were apprehended yesterday, the police said today.

According to the police, the victim, along with her friends, on Sunday morning had gone to the village for a religious programme.

They all belonged to Jambvihir village of the taluka. After the programme, the victim, who had planned to spend a night at her aunt's house in the village, proceeded there, while her friends returned to the village in the evening. While on the way, a group of 15 youths from Phagasphada village, who were also returning to their homes, saw the girl walking alone at night. About 5 to 6 of them forcibly took her to a nearby field and allegedly raped her.

The girl cried for help but in vain. Later, some members of Khirkade Village Defence Force somehow came to know about the incident, who rushed to the spot but by then, the youths had fled.

Then the VDF members gave a chase and caught one of them. They later handed him over to the police on their arrival to the spot. The police then admitted the girl to the rural hospital at Peth.

The remaining were held yesterday. A case has been registered against them under sections 363, 366, 376(G) and 34 of the Indian Penal Code, police said.

The arrested accused were produced before a local court today, which remanded 8 of them to police custody till December 29, while 7 others, being junvenile, were sent to Nashik Remand Home, they added.

UNI