Gang of 7 tries to rape IT executive in Gurugram condominium

GURUGRAM: A 21-year-old IT executive living in an upscale condominium in Sector 86 alleged that a gang of seven men attempted to rape her while she was climbing up the stairs of the apartment on Thursday night.
Even though police tried to hush up the matter, residents alleged, five of the seven accused were arrested only after they a held a protest. While Sawan, Ankit alias Kali, Mukesh alias Monti, Abhishek and Sachin were sent to judicial custody, Hemant — a resident of Badha village — and his friend Kamal Nandi are on the run.Police said the men had come to the flat where Ankit and Sawan live, for a party.
A major altercation ensued between policemen and the residents who reportedly thrashed the accused after they attempted to rape the woman. They told police that the accused would have fled if they had not intervened in the matter.
“The police registered an FIR after much persuasion. The men had approached the woman with a clear intent to rape. We held a protest, and only then did the police book them on charge of attempt to rape,” a resident said.
Another resident of the condominium said one of the accused — Hemant— had availed of police protection after he was shot at by gangster Umesh in the past. Many residents of the condominium claimed Hemant often visited the flat where Ankit and Sawan live, and had been a nuisance to people living there.
“The woman’s family lives on the second floor in Tower B while Ankit and Sawan live on the first-floor flat of the former’s grandfather. Ankit and Sawan are taxi drivers. The entire gang hangs out here. In the past, they had misbehaved with a resident of the condominium. Once they misbehaved with another girl, and when we intervened, they abused and tried to attack us,” a resident said on condition of anonymity.
The gunman, according to police, was not with Hemant when he went to Ankit’s flat for the party. Meerut residents Abhishek and Mukesh alias Monti had come to meet the taxi drivers a day before. They are BTech and BSc students in a Meerut college.
The men tried to sexually assault the woman around 9.50pm on Thursday when she was climbing the stairs. One of them waylaid her and tried to attack her, police said. She somehow managed to flee, and informed her family who then cornered the seven accused and called the police.
“I ignored them and tried to run, but my tiffin box slipped out of my hand. As I was trying to take it, one of them tried to grab my hand. I somehow managed to run. While I was running, they wolf-whistled at me and burst into laughter. When my family stepped out and asked them why there were doing it, the gang of men attacked them. However, other residents came to our rescue,” the woman alleged in her complaint to police.
Sawan and Ankit alias Kali are residents of Jind district, Mukesh alias Monti and Abhishek are from Meerut and Sachin is a resident of Badha village near Kherki Daula, according to police.
The men who are absconding — Hemant, and his friend Kamal Nandi — are also residents of Badha village.
Residents said the FIR was filed only after assistant commissioner of police (Manesar) Dharmbeer Kadiyan reached the spot.
The FIR was registered at Kherki Daula police station against the seven accused under sections 354-A (sexual assault), 506 (criminal intimidation), 509 (insult of modesty of woman) and 376-511 (rape attempt).
“We are conducting raids to nab two other accused,” said inspector Kuldeep Kumar, SHO of Kherki Daula police station.