Three more persons were today apprehended by the Special Investigation Team in the Naliya gang rape case, taking the total number of arrested so far to eight, police said.
"We arrested three more persons in the gang rape case whose name figured in the FIR lodged by the victim. With this, a total of eight persons have been arrested, while one more remains to be arrested," said Kutch Border Range IG A K Jadeja.
Those arrested today were identified as Basant Bhanushali, Govind Parumalani and Ajit Ramvani, who were local BJP members.
Gujarat BJP had suspended these three accused along with one arrested earlier -- Shantilal Solanki -- after the alleged incident came to light.
All five persons arrested earlier have been sent in 14-day police remand by a local court in Naliya, they added.
The trio held today will be produced before the court tomorrow, said Jadeja.
The Gujarat government has formed a SIT to investigate the case.
"We have also seized mobile phones and CPU of the computer of the accused which will be sent for scientific examination, and the matter is being investigated from all angles," added Jadeja.
The SIT have made these arrests on the basis of a complaint filed by a married woman at Naliya town of Kutch district.
In a related development, Bhuj B Division police said they have received a complaint against Kutch BJP president Keshubhai Patel from a social worker Henry Chako for allegedly revealing the identity of the gang rape victim.
Patel is accused of revealing the identity of the victim woman when he showed an I-Card issued in her name at a media conference.
He was refuting claims made by some people that BJP had issued an I-Card to the victim for the purpose of some party events.
Patel said BJP had issued no such I-Card.
In her FIR, the woman had alleged she was raped by at least nine men on different occasions when she used to work as a clerk at Solankis gas agency in Naliya.
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