Eight held for rape of teenage girl in Chhattisgarh

Eight people, including four minor boys, have been nabbed by police after a 15-year-old girl lodged an FIR of rape against them in Chhattisgarh's Balrampur district, a senior officer said on Monday. They allegedly sexually assaulted the girl during the past 15 days in Gandhi Nagar area of the neighbouring Surguja district.

Four of the eight accused were arrested on Sunday while four minors were detained on Monday based on the complaint lodged at Rajpur police station in Balrampur district, the officer said.

"On November 30, parents of the victim, a class 9 student, had lodged a report stating that their daughter had been missing since November 20 following which police launched a search for her," said Balrampur Superintendent of Police Ramkrishna Sahu.

The girl returned her home on December 5. She was taken to Rajpur police station the next day by her parents to record her statement, he said.

The arrested accused are identified as Siddhant Sagar and Alam Sai, both aged 22, Vinay Tirki (22), and Surendra Minj (20).

In her statement, the girl told the police that she went to Ambikapur, around 100 kms away from Balrampur, on November 20 where the accused Sagar, apparently known to her,took her to his friend's room in Gandhi Nagar area and allegedly raped her, the SP said.

Sagar's seven friends, including Sai and others, also sexually exploited the girl before she was allowed to go, he said quoting the complaint.

The accused were booked under sections 363 (kidnapping), 376 (rape) and 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, Sahu said.

Further investigation is on.