Nearly two months after a 19-year-old woman was gang-raped by two people inside a stationary bus in Kharghar, the police arrested the main accused in Chembur on Wednesday.
The arrested accused, identified as Abhishek Kharat (31), was the driver of the bus in which he committed the crime along with his accomplice, Tejash Dewlekar (19), a college-going student. Mr. Dewlekar was arrested on February 4 after an FIR was registered at Kharghar police station.
According to the police, the victim and the duo lived in the same locality and were known to each other. On the night of February 3, the victim had gone for a pre-wedding programme with her parents. In between, the victim was thirsty and the duo who were also present at the programme took her to a nearby minibus and gave her a spiked drink. After she became unconscious, the two sexually assaulted her in the bus. The duo then took her to a secluded spot in Taloja in the dark and abandoned her. She reached home with the help of some citizens and informed her family about the incident.
The next day, based on a complaint, the Kharghar police registered a case of gang-rape against the two and immediately arrested Mr. Dewlekar. However, Mr. Kharat, had absconded.
On Wednesday, he was traced to Lal Dongar in Chembur where he was hiding at his sister’s house and was arrested by assistant police inspector Shridhar Pawar. While Mr. Dewlekar is in judicial custody, Mr. Kharat has been remanded in police custody till April 5.
