(Eds: Updating with more details)Bhopal, Nov 17 (PTI) A 10-year-old girl was allegedlyraped by three men, including a 65-year-old watchman,repeatedly over three months following which the accused werearrested, police said today.
The three were arrested yesterday and were sent tojudicial custody today. They were identified as Gokul Panwala(45), Gyanendra Pandit (36) and Nanhu Lal (65).
The accused were today thrashed by angry locals when theywere taken to their houses to gather evidence as part ofpolice investigation, Jehangirabad Police Station InspectorPreetam Singh Thakur told PTI.
The victim, a Class V student, was last raped on November12, he said.
Her mother noticed that she was looking sad and unusuallyquiet from the last few days. When she asked if anything waswrong, the girl initially did not speak, but later narratedher ordeal to her mother, the inspector said.
The mother registered a complaint with the police lastevening, he said.
The crime took place in the house of one Suman Pandey(50), who was also apprehended and sent to jail, he added.
Thakur said the accused, who lived in the same localityas the girl, had threatened the victim with dire consequencesif she revealed the incident to anyone.
Police got a pan (betel) shop of Gokul Panwala removedwhich he had set up by encroaching upon government land, theinspector said.
"Besides, we have launched proceedings to get the drivinglicence of Pandit cancelled," the officer said.
In the evening, all three were produced in a court whichsent them to judicial custody till November 29, saidJehangirabad region City Superintendent of Police (CSP)Bhartandu Sharma.
The accused were charged under relevant sections of theIPC, including 376D (gangrape), and provisions of theProtection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO).
The case comes 16 days after a 19-year-old woman wasallegedly raped by four men for nearly three hours near therailway tracks in the city when she was returning home afterattending a coaching class. PTI LAL NRB RSYAAR.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.