Five young men from Virar have been arrested for raping a 16-year-old girl many times, over several months paying her cousin Rs 1,000 each time they wanted to do so. All the youngsters were aged between 17 and 23 years.

The main accused in the case a 23-year-old woman happens to be the 16-year-old survivor’s cousin, who forced her into the flesh trade to earn some easy money. The first time, the accused took her cousin to a male friend’s home, where she was forced to have sexual intercourse with him. The woman then threatened to sully her reputation, to make sure she didn’t speak to anyone.