Police say the main accused has been identified as a former employer of the victim’s husband. A case has been registered under Sections 376 (rape) and 34 (criminal conspiracy), but the three accused are at large, police said.

According to police, the two women were at their house in Nirankari Colony at 11.15 pm when the accused rang the doorbell.

Their mother-in-law, Manjeet, said she was away at a relative’s place and had taken along the victim’s seven-year-old daughter and three-year-old son.

The rape victim, Seema (name changed), said, “Devender (prime accused), his brother, Surender, and their office peon, Bheema, rang the bell. I knew Devender by sight, so I opened the door.”

Manjeet’s younger daughter-in-law, Rima (name changed), said she went to the kitchen to prepare tea when “Surender and Bheema took out a gun and pushed me into the kitchen at gunpoint.” Police said Devender then jumped on Seema and raped her.

The trio later fled the spot and the victims called their husbands, who, in turn, informed the police.

Police sources told Newsline that the motive for committing the crime is not clear, though they said the accused had started a radio taxi business venture along with the victim, which ran into losses.

Also, Rima’s husband, Jitender, is a property dealer and had a dispute with the accused, police said. Police suspect business rivalries to be the motive.

Manjeet told Newsline that Devender would often visit their house. “His visits stopped some six months back,” she said.