India: Girl `gang-raped'; four including boyfriend arrested

Nagpur, Oct 8 (PTI) A 17-year-old girl was sexually exploited by her boyfriend and his friends and subsequently gang-raped by three strangers on the outskirts of Nagpur city, police said on Friday.

Four men including her boyfriend have been arrested in the case, they added.

As per the police, Aakash Bhandari (20) had an affair with the girl.

Between October 2 and 7, he and his friends Sandeep Pandhare (30), Firoz Shaikh (24) and Ajay Surankar (20) allegedly raped the girl at an isolated place in Isasani area.

On October 7, when the girl was sitting with Bhandari at the same spot, three unidentified men came there and thrashed them. They then gang-raped the girl.

The crimes came to light when the girl narrated the ordeal to a social worker who informed the police.

A case was registered at MIDC police station under IPC sections related to gang-rape as well as the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act and Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act.

Bhandari, Pandhare, Shaikh and Surankar were arrested and further probe was on, police said.