Mumbai: Two men were arrested on Friday for allegedly raping a 27-year-old woman in Pydhonie. Police said the victim, a resident of Uttar Pradesh, had come to the city to look for a job.
Officers at Pydhonie police station said the incident occurred on the intervening night between Thursday and Friday in a small godown on the fifth floor of the Surangi Mansion building, located on Zakeria Street.
DCP (Zone II) Dnyaneshwar Chavan said, “The victim had come to Mumbai last week with a friend, identified as Santosh Kanaujia. Both are from the same village. They had stayed in Bhiwandi for a few days and had come to the the residence-cum-godown of Kanaujia's friend Farukh Khan in Pydhonie on Thursday.”
In her statement to the police, the victim said Khan forced himself on her late on Friday, and Kanaujia helped him in the sexual assault. Around 4 a.m. on Friday, after both accused had fallen asleep, the victim fell out of a window into a drain while trying to find the godown’s door. She was seen by residents of the adjacent building a short while later, who took her to JJ Hospital for treatment.
“Doctors at JJ Hospital informed us that the woman had been sexually assaulted. After recording her statement at the hospital, we picked up the accused from Khan's godown and placed them under arrest,” an officer with Pydhonie police station said. Kanaujia and Khan, 31, have been charged with gang-rape, wrongful restraint and criminal intimidation under the IPC. “The victim has sustained some injuries due to her fall but is out of danger,” Mr. Chavan added.
Police are interrogating Khan to find out if he has committed similar offences in the past, and have requested information on Kanaujia from the Uttar Pradesh Police, an investigating officer said.
