A sessions court on Tuesday rejected the anticipatory bail petition of Vinamra Soni, charged with gang rape of a 23-year-old US national along with five others, on the ground that there was prima facie sufficient evidence to nail him in the case.

Soon after the court rejected his bail, Soni was arrested and taken into custody by police. The court observed that police had made out a case against the accused for custodial interrogation and hence it was not inclined to grant him anticipatory bail.

The charges against the accused were serious and police needed his custody to carry forward the investigations, the court observed. Soni and five others are accused of gangraping a US student taking a course in the prestigious Tata Institute of Social Sciences.

The victim alleged that she was gangraped in a flat at suburban Andheri on April 11. While five accused were arrested after the victim complained to police of gangrape, Soni was declared absconding as the police could not find him. Soni had moved the court on Monday seeking anticipatory bail as he feared arrest by police.