Two minor girls raped in a day in Rajkot

RAJKOT: In two separate incidents on Wednesday, two minor girls were raped by youths belonging to their individual neighbourhoods in Rajkot district. Both the accused have been arrested on Thursday.
While the first case was reported from Gondal taluka, where a 12-year-old girl was targeted in Hadmatala village, the other shocking incident was reported from Padavala village of Kotda Sangani taluka where a 10-year-old girl was raped by a youth in her village.
According to the police, the 12-year-old girl returning home after buying sugar from a nearby provision store for evening tea when she was targeted by accused Ajay Vala. After the girl failed to return till late, her grandmother went out to search for her and found her bicycle outside a temple. When she started calling out loud while looking around, the elderly woman heard the girl’s voice from behind the temple and by the time she reached there, saw Vala fleeing from the spot in a state of undress.
When the grandmother asked the girl what happened, the minor narrated how Vala stopped her near the temple and dragged her in the bushes behind the temple, gagged her with a cloth and raped her. She also said that the accused threatened her to remain silent about the crime or that he will kill her and family members. The woman took the girl to Gondal police station where an offence was registered against Vala, who was arrested on Thursday.
In the second case, the 10-year-old girl was alone at home as her parents, who are workers in a nearby factory, were away at work and accused Sunil Sarakveli, who lives in the same neighbourhood, entered their house in Padavala village. Finding her alone, the accused raped the girl and when her parents returned home in the evening she narrated them her ordeal. Sarakveli too was arrested after the girl’s mother lodged a complaint at Shapar Verava police station the same evening.
(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault)