In a shocking incident that has sent ripples through the community, a 14-year-old girl was allegedly gangraped by eight persons, including a minor, in a village approximately 20 kilometers from Vansda town in Gujarat's Navsari district. The Navsari Local Crime Branch (LCB) moved swiftly, arresting all the accused, aged between 16 and 21 years, on Thursday.
The Horrific Sequence of Events
The accused, who hail from villages close to the survivor's, allegedly carried out the crime on Wednesday night. According to the complaint, the girl had stepped out of her house around 8 PM to answer nature's call. It was then that three of the accused abducted her. They took her to a village located three kilometers away.
Five other accused later arrived at the spot in a car. The group then took the minor to a room situated adjacent to a water tank. The complaint details that the accused demanded a physical relationship, and when the girl refused, one of them assaulted and raped her. Subsequently, the others took turns to rape her while some pinned her down by holding her hands and legs.
Family's Anguish and Discovery
The family realized the girl was missing later that night. After going to sleep around 8 PM, her father woke up at about 10:30 PM and noticed her absence. The family launched a frantic search in the village and the neighbourhood but could not find her.
In the early hours of Thursday, they made a heartbreaking discovery. The girl was found inside the family's four-wheeler, which was parked outside their home. When her parents questioned her about her whereabouts, she revealed the traumatic gangrape. She explained that after all the assailants fled, she walked back to her house. Out of sheer fear, she did not knock on the door and instead slept inside her father's van.
Police Action and Legal Proceedings
Deputy Superintendent of Police (Chikhli Division) BV Gohil provided crucial details about the case. "All accused are known to the victim and her family. We got the girl's medical examination done and her counselling will be done soon. We will also get the accused medical check-up done," Gohil stated.
The police acted promptly on the complaint. The Navsari LCB arrested all eight individuals involved within a day of the crime being reported. The accused have been booked under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
This grave incident underscores the persistent threat of sexual violence faced by minors, even in familiar surroundings. The swift police action offers a glimmer of hope for justice, while the planned counselling for the survivor highlights the long road to recovery from such a traumatic ordeal.
