A 17-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped on her birthday by three men posing as police officers in Delhi, India. The incident took place on Monday, September 21, in Astha Kunj Park, according to local media reports.
The girl's male friend, also 17, was allegedly attacked during the same incident. Police said the girl had travelled to Delhi to meet her friend, and the three men approached them in the park claiming to be officers.
Suspects used police jargon to intimidate teens
Joint Commissioner of Police Vijay Kumar told The Hindu newspaper that the alleged rapists used policing and legal terms to intimidate the two friends. He said the three told the teens they were minors who had done something wrong and could face action.
The men then allegedly took the girl to a secluded spot where they took turns to sexually assault her while the boy was restrained. One of the alleged attackers threatened the girl with a gun and knife before assaulting her.
Arrest and identification of the accused
Officers found the two teens in the park after the girl called the police. The three men have been identified by local media as a 31-year-old onion seller, a court advocate also aged 31, and his brother, a 24-year-old student.
Police said the onion seller was shot in the leg during a police operation on Tuesday. According to The Hindu, citing Mr Kumar, the three accused knew each other and used to play cricket in the park. The report added that they had previously visited local parks and allegedly teased and harassed girls.
Officials condemn the attack
Lata Gupta, who chairs the Delhi Commission for Women, said any incident involving a woman or girl in the city was unacceptable. She said Delhi's government maintains that mistreatment of women will not be tolerated.
The city's Lieutenant Governor, T.S. Sandhu, stressed that safety for women and girls was "non-negotiable".
