Mumbai:
A 22-year-old auto rickshaw driver has been arrested by the Vanrai police for allegedly raping an 18-year-old Dutch national in the wee hours of December 26. The accused, identified as Rajpati Baburam Nishat, is a resident of Nalasopara. He was picked up by the police from the Kama estate in Goregaon (East) yesterday.
After the victim registered a complaint and narrated her horrifying account of the incident to the police, they prepared sketches of the two accused based on descriptions provided by her, and distributed them among rickshaw drivers who ply in the area. "We contacted the officer who was on duty at the Aarey check post, as well as the Aarey dairy to enquire whether they had seen any of the accused in the locality before," said Rajendra Dabade, deputy commissioner of police, zone XII.
It was ultimately the victim's iPhone -- which she had left behind in the auto when she fled from her assailants -- that led the cops to the accused. They traced her number to the arrested accused.
Nishat had been picked up by the auto driver in the wee hours on Monday morning, while he was on his way to the Aarey forests, where the duo committed the crime.
Cops refused to divulge any details about Nishat, saying that this would hamper their investigations, but said that Nishat has confessed to the crime. The main accused in the case -- who was riding the auto that the victim had taken -- is still on the run.
Cops said that the victim was visiting India on a six-month visa. She had recently passed out of school in the Netherlands and was visiting Mumbai to meet a friend.
She had put up with a friend at Andheri, but moved into another friend's Mulund apartment a few days back.
The girl had visited her friend's home in Vasai on Christmas night, to offer him advice on some designs he had made for his showroom. She accompanied three of her friends for dinner that night. "We will speak to her friends to find out why neither of them accompanied her so late at night," added Dabade.
Cops finally convinced the girl to go for a medical check up, to determine if she was raped or not. They are still awaiting the results for the same. "At present, we have booked the two on charges of rape as well as attempted rape. We can only know for sure once the medical reports arrive," added Dabade.
The case
The incident took place at around 1 am on Monday, when a rickshaw ride she took to reach her Mulund home.
The rickshaw driver halted his vehicle and picked up Nishat, his accomplice, and then took a turn to enter the forested area near the Aarey milk colony. Nishat then stepped into the backseat and gagged her, forcing her jeans off. While one of the two strangled her, the other attempted to rape her. She managed to extricate herself from their grip, and ran towards a building that she spotted in the distance, where she was helped by locals, who took her to the local police station.
After the victim registered a complaint and narrated her horrifying account of the incident to the police, they prepared sketches of the two accused based on descriptions provided by her, and distributed them among rickshaw drivers who ply in the area. "We contacted the officer who was on duty at the Aarey check post, as well as the Aarey dairy to enquire whether they had seen any of the accused in the locality before," said Rajendra Dabade, deputy commissioner of police, zone XII.
It was ultimately the victim's iPhone -- which she had left behind in the auto when she fled from her assailants -- that led the cops to the accused. They traced her number to the arrested accused.
Nishat had been picked up by the auto driver in the wee hours on Monday morning, while he was on his way to the Aarey forests, where the duo committed the crime.
Cops refused to divulge any details about Nishat, saying that this would hamper their investigations, but said that Nishat has confessed to the crime. The main accused in the case -- who was riding the auto that the victim had taken -- is still on the run.
Cops said that the victim was visiting India on a six-month visa. She had recently passed out of school in the Netherlands and was visiting Mumbai to meet a friend.
She had put up with a friend at Andheri, but moved into another friend's Mulund apartment a few days back.
The girl had visited her friend's home in Vasai on Christmas night, to offer him advice on some designs he had made for his showroom. She accompanied three of her friends for dinner that night. "We will speak to her friends to find out why neither of them accompanied her so late at night," added Dabade.
Cops finally convinced the girl to go for a medical check up, to determine if she was raped or not. They are still awaiting the results for the same. "At present, we have booked the two on charges of rape as well as attempted rape. We can only know for sure once the medical reports arrive," added Dabade.
The case
The incident took place at around 1 am on Monday, when a rickshaw ride she took to reach her Mulund home.
The rickshaw driver halted his vehicle and picked up Nishat, his accomplice, and then took a turn to enter the forested area near the Aarey milk colony. Nishat then stepped into the backseat and gagged her, forcing her jeans off. While one of the two strangled her, the other attempted to rape her. She managed to extricate herself from their grip, and ran towards a building that she spotted in the distance, where she was helped by locals, who took her to the local police station.
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