Captured, Chained, Filmed: Gujarat Woman Gang-Raped Under Purification Guise

In a horrific incident reported from Gujarat's Surendranagar district, local police officials have uncovered a severe case of assault, illegal confinement, and gang rape carried out under the guise of religious purification.

The incident came to light after explicit video recordings were circulated across social media platforms, leading police to initiate a probe into the ordeal.

The police action commenced after explicit footage began circulating online, showing a woman being subjected to illegal confinement, harassment, and severe physical abuse while a crowd gathered around, mocking her. 

Police disclosures reveal that the survivor had left her husband to reside with another man. In response, her husband and several relatives unlawfully confined her inside a residence using locks and chains. Although she managed to escape from the house, the perpetrators pursued her, captured her, and tied her to a tree with ropes.

Under the pretext of performing a purification ritual due to her affair, the accused subjected the woman to severe abuse, including gang-rape involving the individual she had been living with, while recording the entire ordeal on camera. The explicit footage was subsequently posted online as a warning to others.

Superintendent of Police Premsukh Delu confirmed that the police took proactive steps after receiving information from community members, as the victim had not initially approached the police station. Search operations based on the viral media led officers to locate the survivor, record her official statement, and secure her safety.

A formal complaint has been registered under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with some sections of the Information Technology Act.

A total of nine individuals have been apprehended in connection with the crime. Police confirmed that two women are among those arrested for aiding and abetting the crime. Further investigation into the criminal backgrounds of the accused remains underway.