Four youths have been arrested for allegedly gangraping their teenaged friend twice on different occasions after spiking her drink with alcohol in suburban Jogeshwari, police said today.
The 16-year-old victim, who stays in a shelter home run by an NGO in suburban Andheri, had gone to her home for the Holi vacation when the offence took place. The shelter home provides staying facilities to the economically backward families' children in the city.
The four accused, Huzer Khan (24), Ajay Jaiswal (21), Kanti Anawadia (19), and Aamir Chaudhary (19), all known to the victim, were arrested on March 20, an official at Meghwadi police station said.
One of the accused had on March 15 asked the victim to join him and his friends for Holi celebrations. She agreed and joined them the next day when the four took her to a ground in Andheri where they consumed liquor and also mixed it in the girl's soft drinks without her knowledge, police said.
The accused then took her to an isolated area in Aarey colony and sexually assaulted one after the other. Since the girl was under the influence of alcohol, she did not remember as to what had happened to her.
The accused again convinced her to accompany them the next day and they allegedly assaulted her sexually the second time in Jogeshwari area, police said.
When she insisted to know from the accused as to what had happened on the two nights as she was suffering from pain, one of the accused narrated about the crime. However, the shaken victim did not reveal it to anybody.
On March 20, one of the staff at the shelter home noticed change in her behaviour. Upon enquiry, the girl broke down and revealed about the incident.
Police were subsequently approached and an FIR was registered on March 20, said an official, adding that the accused were picked on the same day from the city.
The four accused have been remanded in police custody till March 28.