Two cases of sexual crimes against females came to fore in Chandigarh and Mohali on Sunday.

In Chandigarh, police on Sunday arrested a Ludhiana man and his friend for gang-raping a female friend at a hotel in Sector 43 after inviting her for viewing an IPL match on TV.

The accused were identified as Sukhwinder Singh, 32, and his aide Akash, 35.

The woman told the police that she knew Sukhwinder for the last six months. He booked a hotel room in Sector 43 on Sunday to watch an IPL match and invited her over. When she reached the room, Akash was also present with Sukhwinder. The duo proceeded to rape her, following which she called the police control room (PCR).

Police responded to the scene and arrested the duo from the room. They were booked under Section 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code at the Sector 36 police station.

Astrologer booked for sexually assaulting minor

In Mohali, police on Sunday booked an astrologer and his helper for sexually assaulting a minor girl after promising to treat her physical disability.

The accused were identified as Tejinderpal Singh of Dashmesh Colony, Lohgarh, Zirakpur, and his helper Happy Singh.

Zirakpur police booked the duo following a zero FIR from Yamunanagar police. The minor girl, aged 17, lives in Yamunanagar, Haryana.

Her elder sister told police that the teenager had been physically disabled since birth that had plunged her into depression. She also underwent treatment for depression last year.

After someone told them to consult astrologer Tejinderpal Singh, she took her sister to him on March 13.

There, he took her to an isolated room, asked his helper not to allow anyone entry and sexually assaulted her.

He also threatened her not to reveal the incident to anyone. Her health deteriorated after returning home and on being coaxed, she revealed her ordeal.

They alerted the local police, who further sounded the Zirakpur police and a case under Section 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act was registered at the Zirakpur police station. Police have launched a probe to arrest the accused.