Chitwan Police have arrested seven persons for their alleged involvement in gang-raping two teen-aged girls in the district. The accused were held for two separate incidents of gang rape, said DSP Shiva Sharma Acharya, spokesperson at District Police Office Chitwan.

Yubaraj Sharu Magar, 21, of Gaindakot Municipality-4, Nawalparasi; Sainthali Dhimal, 19, of Gaindakot-2; Aakash Thapa, 20, of Chitwan Bharatpur Metropolitan-1; and Arjun BK,35, of Bharatpur-29, have been arrested for allegedly raping a 17-year-old girl on August 16, police said.

A 17-year-old boy has also been arrested in connection with the incident. The boy was an acquaintance of the victim girl and has been working as a helper for a passenger van. Aakash Thapa is the driver of the van.

It has been learned that driver Thapa and his helper, at around 3 pm on August 16, offered the victim girl a ride up to Pulchok, Narayangadh. “The victim has complained that instead of taking her to Pulchok they took the van to different places throughout the day and took her to a factory at Bharatpur Metropolitan City-11 and gang-raped,” DSP Sharma said.

In a separate incident of rape that took place at Baghauda, of Madi Municipality-3, on August 17. Police have arrested Ram Pratap Mahato, 23, and Nawaraj Mahato, 24, for their alleged involvement in raping a 15-year-old girl.

“The accused have been arrested based on the complaints that the victim girl was raped by the duo by offering to take her home on a motorbike,” said a statement issued by Chitwan District Police.  Police have been investigating the case.