The Vadodara city police have arrested all five accused involved in the gang rape of a 16-year-old minor girl in the Bhayli area of the city.
The police commissioner, Narasimha Komar in an address revealed that the suspects have been taken to Sayaji Hospital for a medical check-up and evidences.
Releasing their names as: Munna Abbas Vanjara, a 27-year-old living in the Tandalja area and hailing from Uttar Pradesh, Mamtaz aka Aftab Subedar, a relative of the main accused who also hails from UP, and the third accused, Sharukh Ali, a 27-year-old hailing from UP, are in custody as stated by the police.
In address to the press commissioner Komar stated: “On the 4th, a sexual assault case was registered in the Bhayli area. The Vadodara police initiated an investigation into the matter, and given the seriousness of the crime, the Vadodara Crime Branch was also involved in the investigation. Today, after 48 hours of the incident, the Vadodara Crime Branch has identified and arrested the accused in the incident. This was possible after evidence was collected from the scene, including the victim’s mobile phone.
“A call was made during which substantial information about the suspects’ movements came to light. Subsequently, CCTV footage was analyzed, and the discrepancies provided by the victims were considered. All these clues were analyzed, leading to the successful identification and arrest of the accused.
“After the arrest procedure, the accused are being handed over to the Rural Police, which will conduct a detailed investigation. Two other individuals were also mentioned in the event, who knew the accused persons; their involvement may also be suspicious, so they have been detained for investigation and interrogation,” the senior police official said.
The incident occurred on late Friday night when a 16-year-old girl had gone out with a friend. They were talking in a deserted spot around 11:30 PM when five men on motorcycles arrived and began harassing them. After the friends resisted, two of the men fled the scene, leaving three behind.
Out of these three, one overpowered the boy, and the rest took turns to rape the minor girl before leaving the victims there around 12:30 AM. The police were alerted around 1 AM and immediately responded to the scene. The Vadodara city Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) was assisting in the search for the accused, and forensic teams were collecting evidence.
This morning, the police have nabbed these accused and have detained them at the Detection of Crime Branch police station, and further legal proceedings are underway. The accused are currently undergoing verification and will face appropriate legal action. They are involved in the POP business, the sources told the media.

What Happened?
The survivor recounted that she had gone out to meet her childhood friend in the Laxmipura area around 11 PM. As they were returning on a scooter through Bhayli locality, they were intercepted by five individuals on two motorcycles around midnight. After a brief confrontation, two of the assailants left, while three remained. Of these three, two men allegedly raped the girl, while the third restrained her friend, as detailed by Rohan Anand, Superintendent of Police for Vadodara (rural). Following the attack, the teenagers promptly reported the incident to the police. Officers arrived at the scene, secured the area, and collected evidence. Police have formed specialized teams to identify the perpetrators using technical surveillance and other investigative methods.
Context of the Crime
This incident took place during Navratri, a festival celebrated with great enthusiasm in Gujarat, particularly in Vadodara. The Gujarat government had lifted restrictions on garba celebration timings this year, allowing festivities to continue late into the night. In a similar case reported just days earlier, a 21-year-old woman was allegedly raped by three unidentified men in Pune, Maharashtra. In that incident, her male companion was tied up using his clothes and belt before being assaulted.

Credit: DESHGUJARAT