Mumbai, February 19: A shocking incident of rape has come to light from Maharashtra, where a 28-year-old woman was allegedly gang-raped by four men in Palghar's Naigaon. After the incident, police arrested two accused and launched a manhunt for the absconding accused. Cops said that the accused lured the woman to Naigaon on the promise of a job after she missed her job interview in Pune.

Hindustan Times reports that the accused took turns to rape the woman. Officials also said that the accused shared photos of the act on Instagram to prevent the victim from filing a complaint. As per the preliminary investigation, the victim had travelled to Pune for a job interview on November 27 last year. However, as she missed the interview, she contacted one of the accused, Pawan Sabbad, whom she knew through a relative. Mumbai Shocker: Teacher Dies by Suicide by Jumping From Atal Setu; Harassment by Instant Loan App Agents Suspected.

Police officials said that Sabbad promised to find a job for the woman in Vasai. He travelled to Pune and brought the woman to his house in Naigaon East, where the other three accused, Dhanraj Chavan, Nagesh Gaikwad and Abhishek Pujari, were present. Over the course of the next two months, the accused gang-raped the woman and even took obscene photos of her. Later, they posted the pictures on a fake Instagram account.

It is also learned that the accused threatened to kill the woman and her family members if she approached the police. Additionally, the accused also took the victim's mobile phone and earrings worth INR 75,000. A police officer said that the events took place between December 4, 2024 and February 6, 2025. Initially, the case was registered at Dabki Road police station in Akola district but was later transferred to Naigaon. Maharashtra Shocker: Man Rapes 17-Year-Old Girl, Shares Sex Assault Video on WhatsApp in Bhiwandi; 3 Including Another Minor Girl Arrested for Blackmail.

Vijay Kadam, senior inspector of Naigaon police station, said that they arrested two accused on Tuesday, February 18 and have launched a search to nab the remaining two accused, who are at large.

Women and Child Helpline Numbers:

Childline India – 1098; Missing Child and Women – 1094; Women’s Helpline – 181; National Commission for Women Helpline – 112; National Commission for Women Helpline Against Violence – 7827170170; Police Women and Senior Citizen Helpline – 1091/1291.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 19, 2025 03:36 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).