Rape In India: 4 Teenagers Gang-Rape Schoolmate In Mumbai, Circulate Video On WhatsApp

The gang-rape of a 15-year-old girl in the western Indian state of Maharashtra came to light Thursday after a video of the act went viral, leading to the arrest of four suspects, according to local media reports. The girl was gang-raped by four teenagers in Mumbai on Nov. 8 when one of her friends called her for a group study at his residence.

The four suspects used the video clip of the incident to threaten the girl, NDTV, a local news network, reported. The suspects reportedly circulated the video to their friends on WhatsApp, a mobile messaging app, following which it went viral. The video eventually reached the girl’s aunt who informed the police about the incident.

"All four were produced before a juvenile court, after which they were sent to the Dongri correction home, where they will be questioned by a child welfare officer," a senior police official told NDTV.

The suspects have been booked under Section 376 (G) (gang rape) of the Indian Penal Code, as well as under relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The incident is the latest in a string of episodes highlighting the rising violence against women in the country.