3 held for gang-rape of G Noida woman
All three arrested from Hapur after encounter; prime suspect a habitual offender, say police
GHAZIABAD: The Hapur police early Saturday arrested three suspects who had allegedly kidnapped a 30-year-old woman travelling in their auto-rickshaw to Pikhuwa and gangraped her. The suspects were identified as Ankit Kumar, 35, Mohammad Aquil, 25, and Akash Singh, 22, were arrested after an encounter, in which two police personnel were injured.
Officers said the suspects allegedly opened fire over the police while the three sustained a gunshot each to their legs, after the police team opened retaliatory fire, at Pilkhuwa.
The police said the suspects were identified through CCTV footage and the modus operandi in another case.
“The three men abducted the woman who was travelling in their auto from Lal Kuan, and took her to a secluded spot near Galand where they gangraped her on Wednesday. After the incident, they made her board another auto for Lal Kuan but the woman went to the Masuri police station in Ghaziabad. Since the scene of crime was in
Hapur, we registered a case and nabbed the three suspects,” said Neeraj Kumar Jadaun, superintendent of police (Hapur), adding that the police will expedite filing of charge sheet and the process for ensuring conviction.
Police said the suspects are from Galand village in Pilkhuwa.
“The three men are history sheeters and Ankit is a habitual offender, with 10 cases of heinous crimes, including a gangrape in 2013, lodged against his name. The CCTV footage and modus operandi led us to the suspects. We also found clothes of the woman from the scene of crime,” the Hapur SP added.
The police also seized the auto-rickshaw which bears a
registration number of Hapur.
The survivor lives in Greater Noida and works in Indirapuram and was returning home when the incident took place.
Officers said Ankit was arrested by the Ghaziabad police in a 2013 case when a 20-yearold woman was allegedly abducted by Ankit and his accomplices in their auto from near Shipra Mall in Indirapuram and gangraped. The 20-year-old was also taken to Galand.
“They made sure that they did not injure their victims, so that matter does not reach the police. They offered victims money to travel back to Lal Kuan. In this gang-rape case they offered her a pack of biscuits and hailed an auto-rickshaw for her,” said a Hapur police officer, who did not wish to be named.
Police said Ankit allegedly confessed to committing a similar crime over a month ago as well near Galand, but the survivor in the case did not approach the police. “We suspect they may have committed similar crimes earlier. We will question them more,” said Jadaun.
Police said the suspects allegedly operated from the Lal Kuan intersection on NH-9 where they found “easy targets”.
Kalanidhi Naithani, SSP (Ghaziabad) did not respond to calls. “So far, no other victim has approached us with a complaint. If anyone has fallen victim to the gang, they should come forward and register their complaint. Their identities will be kept confidential. The SHO of Masuri police station was suspended as he did not inform senior officers when the woman approached him on the night of February 24. We got the information of the incident about 26 hours later, through the media,” said Iraj Raja, SP (rural) – Ghaziabad.
The 30-year-old had approached the Masuri police station around 11.30pm while her case came to the knowledge of the Hapur police around 3.30pm the next day.
Nipun Agarwal, SP (city 1), said more personnel will be deployed and it will be ensured that auto-rickshaws plying illegally from Hapur are fined and seized.