The Mumbai police on Thursday arrested two assistant inspectors and a constable for allegedly kidnapping, looting and raping a 29-year-old model with the help of three others earlier this month.
Although the incident occurred on 3 April, the model reported the incident to Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria in an SMS on Tuesday. She then met him at his office on Wednesday and narrated the entire episode and told him that she fled from the city fearing she would be harassed again.
Later, the Commissioner directed Mumbai Crime Branch to register an FIR against assistant inspectors Sunil Khapte and Suresh Suryavanshi, constable R Kode and three others, including a woman who was involved in the extortion of money and jewellery from the model.
All six accused have been booked under Sections 376 (Rape), 354(A) (Sexual Harassment), 384 (Extortion) 341 (Wrongful restraint), 342 (Wrongful confinement), 323 (Voluntarily causing hurt) and 324 (Voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons) of the IPC. They will be produced in court on Friday.
The policemen posted at Sakinaka police station have been arrested on Thursday, but the three others have been absconding ever since. The cops will be produced in the court on Friday, according to reports.
What happened on 3 April?
The model had gone to a five-star hotel in Sakinaka area to meet a coordinator for the casting of a film. After reaching the hotel, she was asked to go to the coordinator's room and pay him some money. But she refused to go in and instead walked out of the hotel.
"The coordinator had asked her to come to his room and pay Rs 3,200. But the model was not comfortable with the idea and decided to leave. The coordinator then called his friends for help," The Indian Express quoted Joint Commissioner of Police Deven Bharti as saying.
As soon as she came out of the hotel she was stopped by a police van and the occupants forced her to get inside. They then drove her to the police station where they allegedly raped her.
The harassment did not stop there, the policemen then asked the model for a few lakh rupees in return of her release. She then called her boyfriend who brought ₹4.5 lakh and some gold ornaments and handed it over to them. The model was released in the morning of 4 April.
