Hyderabad gang-rape case: Third accused, also a minor, arrested
The Hyderabad Police on Saturday arrested the third accused and identified two others, all minors, involved in the gang-rape of a 17-year-old girl in a luxury car on May 28. Deputy Commissioner of Police (West Zone) Joel Davis said that police teams are on the lookout for two others. Earlier in the day, cops arrested second accused, who also happens to be a minor.
The police arrested Saduddin Malik (18) on Friday. The juvenile was also identified on Friday but because it was nighttime, he could not be apprehended as per rules. He was arrested on Saturday morning. Another key accused has been identified as Omair Khan (18). The DCP clarified that as per the girl's statement and other evidence, no MLA's son was among the accused.
Davis said the victim couldn't reveal anything about the culprits except just one name. They have formed special teams to arrest the accused. "We've identified five culprits as per CCTV footage and as per the statement of the victim," Davis said. The crime allegedly involves children and grandchildren of politicians; one of the juveniles is the son of a prominent person, the police said.
According to the DCP, the girl's father said that his 17-year-old daughter had gone to a non-alcoholic party at a pub in Jubilee Hills on Saturday. After the girl returned, he noticed minor injuries on her neck. Thereafter, a case was registered under Sections 354 and 323 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 9 read with 10 of the POCSO Act.
The police said that the girl had befriended one of the boys at the pub. The CCTV footage also showed the girl standing outside the pub with the suspected accused, who had offered to drop her home. However, they parked the car in the Jubilee Hills area and reportedly took turns to rape her while others stood guard outside the car.
The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Telangana unit accused the police of slow action due to the alleged involvement of ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leaders in the matter. They held a dharna outside a police station. TRS Working President and Telangana Minister KT Rama Rao on Friday asked authorities to take "immediate and stern action" in the case.
