New Delhi, Jan 16 (IANS): A 24-year-old woman has alleged that she was sexually assaulted by her friend and his two accomplices in a stationary car here after making her drink juice containing sedatives near a mall, a police officer said on Tuesday.

The police said the incident occurred on Monday night when a passerby saw the woman crying near a car at Cross River Mall in east Delhi's Shahdara and informed the police.

"The police reached the spot and arrested the victim's friend, later identified as Amit, 30. We are investigating the role of Amit's friends in the crime who are at large," Deputy Commissioner of Police Meghna Yadav told IANS.

"During the investigation, we found that Amit, a businessman, who is a native of Uttar Pradesh's Baghpat, befriended the victim through a common friend some two months ago after he promised to get her home loan at a cheaper rate," The DCP said.

"A resident of Seelampur in Delhi, the victim was called by Amit for a meeting on Monday near Cross River Mall. During the meeting, according to the statement of victim, Amit, accompanied by two friends, gave her juice with sedatives. As she fell unconscious, she was gang-raped by the three accused," Yadav added.

The police have registered a case of rape against Amit on the complaint of victim and are interrogating him to establish the role and identify his two friends, she added.