8 held for raping 14-year-old girl in Botad

Rajkot: A rape case involving a 14-year-old girl from Gadhada taluka in Botad district has come to light, with Gadhada police registering a case against nine individuals.The case has been filed under Sections 64(2)(I), 75(2) and 70(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with Sections 3(a), 4, 5(g), 7, 8 and 9 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act. According to Botad DSP Maharshi Rawal, the victim is a minor and the accused allegedly took advantage of her innocence. Police said she was taken to different locations by various individuals at different times and subjected to sexual assault. Preliminary investigation has indicated that a similar incident may have occurred about six months ago. Police arrested eight of the accused — Dhuli Rathod, Suresh Rathod, Shoaib Chauhan, Urvesh Ghorpade, Alpesh Mehta, Akash Parmar, Ajay Maru and Pintu Padhiar. Another accused, Hamir Dangar, has not been arrested in this case as he is currently in jail in connection with a separate assault case. Police said the victim would often leave home due to psychological issues, which the accused allegedly exploited. They reportedly gained her trust by showing sympathy before committing the crime. The victim is undergoing counselling and medical and psychological evaluation. Police are also collecting scientific evidence as part of the investigation.