Baramulla, Jul 28: Police have arrested two men for allegedly gang raping a 21year old woman, recording the assault on a mobile phone and threatening her into silence in Baramulla district.
Addressing a press conference here in North Kashmir, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Baramulla Gurinderpal Singh said the woman approached Police Station Baramulla on July 25 and lodged a written complaint alleging that the incident had taken place on July 3 at Jalsheeri Drangbal.
According to the complaint, the woman had gone to Jalsheeri Drangbal with a male friend for an outing when two unknown men allegedly approached them, harassed them and started recording videos on their mobile phones.
The SSP said the accused allegedly assaulted the victim’s companion before chasing him away. They then allegedly overpowered the woman and sexually assaulted her one after the other while recording the act on a mobile phone. The accused later fled from the spot.
During the incident, the complainant told police, the accused addressed each other as “Shakir” and “Ashraf.” The SSP said this was the only clue available to investigators initially, making the case particularly challenging.
He said the woman delayed approaching the police as she had allegedly been threatened by the accused. Police have since provided security to the victim.
Following the complaint, Police Station Baramulla registered FIR No. 112/2026 under Sections 70(1) and 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The investigation was entrusted to PSI Menakshi under the supervision of the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) Headquarters Baramulla and the Station House Officer (SHO) Police Station Baramulla.
The SSP said investigators launched sustained searches and employed technical analysis, human intelligence and scientific investigative methods to identify the accused.
“Since the victim knew the accused only by their first names, we relied on technical and human intelligence to establish their identities. The two accused were arrested yesterday,” Singh said.
The accused have been identified as Shakir Ahmad Lone, 22, son of Abdul Gani Lone, and Mohammad Ashraf Dar, 27, son of Abdul Hamid Dar, both residents of Jalsheeri, Baramulla. Police said Ashraf works as a driver.
During sustained interrogation, both accused disclosed their involvement in the crime, the SSP said, adding that the mobile phone allegedly used to record the assault has also been recovered.
Police said further investigation is underway to collect scientific, medical, digital and other corroborative evidence in accordance with law.
The SSP said police are committed to conducting a fair, impartial and expeditious investigation to ensure all evidence is collected meticulously and strict legal action is taken against those found involved—(KNO)
