Two men rape teenaged girl after tying up her friend in Maharashtra

The girl later managed to free her friend and both returned to their homes and informed their family members about the incident, the official said.

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Palghar: A 15-year-old girl was allegedly raped by two unidentified persons, who tied her male friend to a tree before committing the offence in Palghar district of Maharashtra, police said on Thursday. The incident took place on Monday after the girl left her home in Virar area around 8 pm to meet one of her friends. Enroute, she met her 16-year-old male friend who offered to accompany her, a police spokesperson said. As they walked a short distance on the road, the two accused came there and forcefully took the girl and the boy to an isolated place nearby, he said. The accused tied the boy to a tree with a rope and then dragged the girl behind the bushes where they allegedly raped her, the police official said. The accused also beat up the boy. They warned him and the girl against informing anyone about the incident and then fled, he said. The girl later managed to free her friend and both returned to their homes and informed their family members about the incident, the official said. The girl's parents approached the Virar police station on Wednesday and lodged a complaint, he said. Based on the complaint, the police registered a case under Indian Penal Code sections 376D (gangrape) and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), and relevant provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, he said, adding that a search was on for the culprits.