Naliya gang-rape case: main accused among two held

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat government’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) has arrested two more persons including prime accused Shantilal Solanki, a BJP worker, in connection with the alleged gang-rape of a 24-year-old woman in Naliya town of Kutch district.

Till now, five people have been arrested in the one-year-old case. On Tuesday, the SIT had arrested Vinod Thakkar, 67, his son Chetan Thakkar, 35, and Ashwin Thakkar, 44 in connection with the one-year-old case. They were produced in a court in Naliya, which remanded them in police custody for 14 days.

“Those arrested today are identified as Shantilal Solanki, 48, who is the prime accused, and Bharat Darji, 37, both residents of Naliya,” J.M. Aal, Police Inspector, Kutch Local Crime Branch who is heading the SIT, said.

In her FIR, the woman, currently living in Mumbai with her husband, had alleged she was raped by at least nine men on different occasions when she was working as a clerk at Solanki’s gas agency in Naliya. She alleged that Solanki, Darji and Vipul Thakkar offered her a spiked cold drink and raped her when she had gone to Solanki’s house for an advance on her salary.

As per her FIR filed at Naliya police station on January 25, the trio filmed the act and raped her on several occasions by threatening to circulate the video clip. On one occasion, she was raped by Vipul Thakkar and Solanki in the latter’s car. She was also sexually assaulted by other accused.

Solanki and three other BJP members — Govind Parumalani, Ajit Ramvani and Vasant Bhanushali — were suspended by the party two days ago after their names were included in the complaint. Ramvani and Bhanushali are the sitting councillors of the Gandhidham municipality and yet to be arrested, polie said.