A 13-year-old girl was gangraped in Mumbai by four men. On Sunday night, two of the four kidnapped the victim and her elder sister and took them to a garden close to their home in suburban Andheri. The accused, all between the ages of 25 to 30, are now behind bars.
While the elder sister managed to escape, the men joined by two others, raped the 13-year-old girl.
"She was threatened not to disclose the rape. These were men who lived around her and knew her," said Pradeep Suryavanshi, Senior Police Inspector.
One of the alleged rapists, Ganesh Gatkar, was a member of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and was recently removed from a minor party post.
"It is shameful. One of them is from the party but the other three we will have to check. But we have nothing to do with this incident," said Shirish Parkar, spokesperson, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena.
The gangrape quickly acquired political colour with Shiv Sena activists protesting outside the police station where the men were being held.
"It is extremely shameful. It is blot on Maharashtrian culture," said Uddhav Thackeray, executive president, Shiv Sena.
While the politicians battle, what has changed forever is the life of the victim, who will now have to deal with the harsh reality thrust on her.
