19-year-old model gang-raped in car in Kochi

The South police have taken into custody three men and a woman in connection with the alleged gang rape of a 19-year-old budding model in a car on Thursday night.

The arrests of the accused is likely to be recorded shortly. Among the three men, two are from Kodungalloor while one is from Ernakulam. All of them are in their 30s. The 21-year-old woman from a western Indian State was the victim’s friend and was also into modelling. The victim was left at her room in Kakkanad after the gang rape, according to the police.

“The accused woman played an instrumental part in the whole incident. She had met the victim at a juice centre in Kakkanad before taking her to a bar in the city in her car. Along the way, she rang up one of the male accused who turned up with two of his friends and they all drank together,” said C.H. Nagaraju, District Police Chief (Kochi City).

After having a few rounds of drinks, by which time the victim was not in her senses, the accused woman gave her car to the men who left with the victim. The accused woman stayed back at the bar. It is being probed on what pretext she was taken and whether the crime was committed in a static or moving car.

The men then returned to the bar and picked up the woman while the victim was still being abused in the car. The victim was then left at her room.

Her roommate found her really weak and admitted her to a hospital. The police were informed about the incident on Friday around 5 a.m. The victim is undergoing treatment at Government Medical College, Kalamassery, the police said.