A 21-year-old woman was allegedly raped by 10 men near Issewal village on the banks of Sidwan canal, about 15 km from Ludhiana, after the Hyundai car she was travelling in with her friend was stopped and she was dragged out, police said Monday.
The woman was travelling with a man from Ludhiana to Issewal village on Saturday night when their car was stopped in Jagraon by men on three bikes, who were following them, Superintendent of Police (Investigation) Tarun Rattan told reporters.
As soon as they stopped, the car was attacked by the men with stones and bricks, he said.
The assailants then dragged them out of the car and took them to a vacant spot on the banks of the canal, where they called six to seven more persons and raped the woman, police said.
Both the woman and her friend were held there till Sunday, police said.
Doctors at the Sudhar Civil Hospital medically examined the girl on Monday. Top officials, including DIG Ranbir Singh Khattra and SSP-Jagraon Varinder Singh Brar inspected the crime site while a team of forensic experts collected evidence.
SSP Brar said a case had been filed with the Dakha police under Sections 376-D, 384 and 342 of the IPC. “Teams have been formed to trace the suspects and their sketches made," he said, adding that ASI Vidya Rattan, posted in Dakha, had been placed under suspension for dereliction of duty.
A case under relevant sections of the IPC has been registered and police have launched a hunt to nab the accused.