16-year-old girl raped by two "friends"; accused arrested

Two men allegedly raped a 16-year- old girl after taking her out on the pretext of celebrating the Friendship Day here, a police official said today.

The accused, aged 18 and 22 years, were known to the victim, said Inspector V M Pawar of the Dombivili police station, adding both were arrested.

The duo approached the girl last evening and asked her out to celebrate the Friendship Day. Since the teenager was known to them, she went out, he said.

They took the girl on a two-wheeler to an abandoned room near a fish hatchery in Dombivili and allegedly raped her, Pawar said.

The accused warned her of dire consequences if she told anyone about the incident and later dropped her near her home, he said.

The victim lodged a complaint with the Dombivili police station following which the two were arrested, said the official.

One of the accused, who is 22, is into fish hatchery business, while the other is a college student, he said.

They were booked under the IPC section 376D (gangrape) and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), Pawar added.