Nine arrested in Surendranagar for gang rape of woman in name of "purification" ritual
Police in Gujarat's Surendranagar district have arrested nine people, including two women, after a video of the abuse of a married woman surfaced on social media.
Images are not validated/verified
A case of assault, abduction and gang rape of a married woman has come to light in Gujarat's Surendranagar district. Police have arrested nine people, including two women. The crime was committed in the name of an alleged "purification" practice, in which the woman was accused of having an illicit relationship with another man.
The case came to light when a video of the violence and humiliation inflicted on the woman was made and later surfaced on social media. Police acted after the video emerged. According to police, the woman had not approached them initially, but after officials received information from members of the community, they began searching for her.
Surendranagar Superintendent of Police Premsukh Delu said that as soon as police learnt of the video, several teams were deployed to trace the woman. She was eventually located and called to the police station, where her statement was recorded. She was then given police protection.
According to police, the woman had left her husband and was living with another man. Her husband and relatives tracked her down and forcibly brought her home. After bringing her home, they chained her. She managed to escape, but the accused caught her again and tied her to a tree with a rope.
Police said the accused began subjecting the woman and the man living with her to physical and mental torture in the name of the "purification" practice. Police said several men physically assaulted the woman. Every time she was raped, it was recorded on a phone. Some of these videos went viral on social media.
Police are now also investigating who recorded the videos and who posted them on social media. Superintendent of Police R. M. Sangada said the person who recorded the videos and earned money by posting them on social media is also being sought.
Police have arrested nine accused, including two women who helped in the crime. Investigating officers are also examining the background and role of those arrested.
