A teenager alleged she was gang-raped by her boyfriend and three men in Dilwarpur village of rural Patna on Thursday around 3.30pm, though the police arrested and later released her friend.

The 16-year-old girl was walking with her boyfriend in Bihta police station area when three men allegedly stopped them. Then, to her horror, she alleged, her boyfriend joined the other three. They forcibly took her to a secluded spot and took turns raping her.

The police said two persons allegedly involved in the crime, including the girl’s boyfriend Deepak, were arrested while the girl had been sent to hospital for medical tests to confirm rape.

But later, senior superintendent of police (SSP) Jitender Rana said that apparently, the boyfriend had no role in the rape of the girl. He said some autorickshaw drivers might be involved. Deepak was released while the other arrested youth, Kaju, was still being interrogated.

SP (rural) Harkishore Rai has been sent to the scene of crime, around 2km from Bihta police station. The police had initially said the girl and her friend Deepak had planned to meet on Thursday. They met on the outskirts of the village. Later, the girl started walking back home along with Deepak.

Suddenly, three men appeared from nowhere and surrounded them.

Before she could react, Deepak, she alleged, joined the men in taking her, forcibly, to a secluded spot where they all raped and then dumped her before fleeing.

The girl managed to contact her family, who took her to hospital before informing the police.

“Based on the girl’s statement, the two men, aged 22-24, were nabbed. The other two are absconding,” an officer at the Bihta police station said.

The police had initially said it looked like the girl’s boyfriend had a hand in the crime. “It looks like a trap laid by Deepak,” the officer had said before the police ruled out the possibility on further investigation. Patna has become increasingly unsafe for women given the incidents of crime surfacing lately.

Only on Wednesday, a woman was robbed of her belongings at gunpoint in the Board Colony area under the jurisdiction of Shastri Nagar police station.

In another incident on Thursday, a man teased and abused a Patna Science College girl student. Pirbahore police later arrested him.

Some days ago, another girl was gang-raped and then murdered by her boyfriend and three others at Mahuabagh village of the Parsa Bazaar police station. One accused in that case has surrendered in court while the others are absconding. “Thursday’s incident bears resemblance to the Mahuabagh incident of November 2,” another police officer said.

The November 2 incident was meticulously planned, the police said. “The deceased had been forced by her boyfriend to come to the nightlong function at the village. The girl forced her family to take her to the function. The girl left the venue twice on one or the other pretext but did not return the second time. Her family members began a frantic search an hour after she did not return. Later, her body was found lying in a field.

“She had been strangulated,” a police officer had said.

Till August, 58 rape cases were reported in different police stations of the city, up from 48 during same period last year.

“These are scary incidents. The police should arrest those involved in such crimes at the earliest for women to feel safe. Also, there should be active police patrolling,” said Patna resident Anamika Kumari.