DEHRADUN: The industrial hub of Roorkee in Uttarakhand’s Haridwar district is in shock following the discovery of a chilling pattern of sexual violence.
Investigations into two separate gang-rape complaints have revealed a terrifying commonality: the same group of accused targeted multiple women using an identical modus operandi involving drugging, filming, and digital blackmail.
The matter came to light after a 35-year-old woman, whose husband works at a brick kiln in Kotdwar, approached the Roorkee Kotwali police. According to her complaint, an acquaintance visited her home six months ago and allegedly added sedatives to her cold drink. Once she fell unconscious, the man called two accomplices, and the trio gang-raped her.
The three accused recorded the heinous act on a mobile phone and used the footage to blackmail the victim for months. When the woman finally resisted their advances, the accused leaked the explicit video on social media. Acting on her complaint, the police arrested the primary suspects, identified as Meherban and Abdul Rahman, along with their associate.
However, the investigation took a darker turn when a second victim, a 31-year-old woman originally from Meerut and currently residing in the Kaliyar area of Roorkee, came forward. Her account mirrored the first: she was allegedly drugged with tea by an acquaintance, taken to a secluded location, and gang-raped by a group of men who also circulated a video of the assault online.
"Upon investigating the second complaint, it became disturbingly clear that the accused were the same individuals already sent to jail for the first case," said Pramendra Singh Dobhal, Senior Superintendent of Police SSP, Haridwar. " The similarity in the execution of these crimes suggests a calculated and organized approach to targeting vulnerable women."
The revelation has raised serious concerns regarding the safety of women in the region and the existence of a larger "sextortion" racket. SSP Dobhal further noted, "Our initial probe indicates these activities were ongoing for a significant period. We are now investigating if there are other victims who have remained silent due to social stigma or fear of the accused."
Sources indicate that the Special Task Force and local police are currently scanning the mobile phones, social media accounts, and call records of the accused to identify any further links. The police have assured that stringent charges will be framed against the gang to ensure a fast-tracked trial.
For now, the town remains on edge as authorities peel back the layers of what appears to be a systematic campaign of digital and physical assault.