15-year-old girl raped by two men she befriended on Instagram; Duo arrested

Palghar: A 15-year-old girl was allegedly repeatedly raped by two men she was friends with on social media in Maharashtra’s Palghar district, police said on Tuesday.

Accused arrested

The district rural police on Monday arrested the accused from Talasari under Section 376 (rape) and other relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act, an official said. Both men are in their mid-20s, the official said.

One of the defendants befriended the victim on Instagram and took her to his home on April 30, where he raped her, he said. On May 4, the two accused raped the girl repeatedly at different places, the official said.

False identities used

The duo used fake names to identify themselves but police targeted them based on intelligence and technical findings, he said. The accused have been remanded in police custody till May 9 and further investigation is underway, the official said.