Woman gangraped in village in Maharashtra; one arrested

A 43-year-old woman was allegedly gangraped by four men at Rajgaon village here, including its sarpanch, police said today.
The incident took place on March 29 in Newase tehsil, 33 kms from here when all the accused barged into her house in the night and brutalised her after locking up her 21-year-old son, District Superintendent Lakhmi Gautam told PTI.
According to the complaint filed by the victim, the trouble began on Sunday morning, when a group of 30 people attacked her family injuring her husband seriously over a dispute following which he was hospitalised with multiple fractures.
The woman has also alleged that the rapists identified as -- Sarpanch Laxman Ghule (35), Shivaji Mahadeo Shirsat (37), Bhagwat Bansi Ghule (32), Sandip Ramkrushna Shirsat (26)-- were affiliated to the BJP.

While Bhagwat Bansi was arrested today, three other accused are absconding, the SP said.
Besides, 11 people including the four rape accused have been charged with rioting, he said.

According to police, the sarpanch was miffed at the woman and her husband for having allegedly complained about him for trying to marry off his minor daughter, a charge that has been denied by the village couple.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena spokesperson Neelam Gorhe, who spoke to the victim through an NGP team, has demanded that other accused in the gangrape should be arrested quickly.
"I spoke to Ahmednagar SP. One of the accused has been arrested but others are still absconding," Gorhe told reporters at Vidhan Bhawan today.

"We have demanded that they be arrested immediately. The woman should be provided counselling by social organisations. Efforts should be made at village level to stop such goondagiri," the Sena leader said.