Gujarat police arrest 3 persons for gang-raping minor girl in Vadodara

The Gujarat police crime branch on Monday arrested three people who allegedly gang-raped a minor girl studying in Class 11 on the outskirts of Vadodara on October 4.
The accused were identified by police as Manna Abbas Banjara, 27, Aaftab S. Banjara, 36, and Shah Rukh Takshmat Ali Banjara, 26. All three are from Uttar Pradesh and were living in Vadodara for 10 years, working as construction labourers. The crime branch has handed them over the accused to the Vadodara Rural Police.
According to the girl’s complaint filed on October 5 at Vadodara Taluka police station, the crime was committed when she and her childhood male friend were sitting at an isolated place in Bhyali area after attending a garba event in the Gotri area on the night of October 4, the second day of the Navratri festival.
They were approached by three individuals on one motorbike and two others on another two-wheeler. The trio began questioning them, while the other two left the scene, urging them to leave the couple alone.
Around 11.30 pm-11.45 pm, the trio overpowered the male friend and gang-raped the girl. The accused snatched the girl’s mobile phone and threatened to kill her if she complained to the police.
“The accused, it seems, were merely passing through the area, and it appeared to be an opportune moment for them. The surroundings were isolated and shrouded in darkness, with barely anyone around to witness their heinous actions,” Vadodara police commissioner Narsimha Komar said.
“We have arrested three persons for gang-rape of the minor girl. We have also caught hold of the two others who had accompanied the accused on a motorbike but had left the scene before the crime,” said Rohan Anand, superintendent of police, Vadodara (Rural).
The police had formed a team of two inspectors, eight sub-inspectors, and 55 personnel under the supervision of the crime branch and they reviewed approximately 1,100 CCTV footage from the area.
Komar said that some of the items they discovered at the scene of the crime like a broken pair of sunglasses of poor quality helped them in the investigation,
“The accused snatched the girl’s mobile phone but didn’t turn it off immediately. They even answered a call from the girl’s parents for a few seconds before switching it off. This helped us in tracking them down. The CCTV footage also proved to be a vital lead,” Komar said.
“We have tightened overall security. There is already heightened security near garba venues. We urge people to avoid isolated places during night-time,” he added.