A teenager was allegedly raped by three persons when she was out with a friend during the ongoing Navratri festival in Gujarat’s Surat district, police said Wednesday.

The 17-year-old was allegedly sexually assaulted in a deserted place on the outskirts of Mota Borsara village in Mangrol taluka within the jurisdiction of Kosamba police station around 11 pm on Tuesday, Superintendent of Police (Rural) Hitesh Joysar said.

The alleged crime comes days after a teenager was gang-raped on the outskirts of Vadodara when she was out with her friend.

“The teen had gone to Kim to meet her friends after attending her coaching class. At around 10.30 pm, she had ice cream with her two friends. She and her (male) friend were then sitting in a deserted place on their way to a petrol pump along the highway near Mota Borsara village when three men approached them,” the SP said.

The trio grabbed the girl while her friend escaped, the police official said. They took turns to rape her before fleeing with her and her friend’s mobile phones, he said.

“A motorcycle has been seized and two accused have been identified. Once they are nabbed, we shall be able to get the third accused as well,” he said.

After escaping from the spot, the girl’s friend informed locals who reached the area within half an hour and launched a search operation. In the meantime, the police were also alerted, he said.

Considering the sensitivity of the case, senior police officials, including Range IG and Superintendent of Police, reached the alleged crime scene. More than ten teams have been formed to crack the case.

A dog squad and forensic teams have also been engaged to gather evidence, Joysar said.

An FIR has been registered under sections 70-b (gangrape of woman under 18), 115-B (voluntarily causing hurt), 54 (abettor present when offence is committed), and 309-4 (causing hurt in robbery attempt) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, he said.

In a similar incident, a minor was raped by three people at a deserted place on the outskirts of Vadodara on October 4 night, triggering a statewide uproar. The three accused were arrested on Monday.

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