TIRUCHY: Four youth, including a minor boy, were booked and two of them arrested on Sunday for allegedly gang-raping a 13-year-old Dalit girl at Srirangam late on Saturday.
According to the police, the victim and another girl were walking along the Kollidam in the evening when the four youths waylaid them. While the youths took the victim to the bathing ghats and took turns to rape her, the other girl escaped. She returned with her relatives to the crime spot, but the youths fled on seeing them.
The girl, who sustained injuries to her neck and other body parts in the sexual assault, was rushed to the Srirangam government hospital.
Assistant Commissioner of Police K Ramachandran said, “The accused youths are Maheshwaran (25), Balu alias Balakrishnan (23), Surya (21) and a juvenile. Except for the juvenile, the accused have a criminal history. Maheshwaran and Balu were arrested on Sunday. A manhunt is on for the other two youths.”
All the four accused were booked under Sections 5 and 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code and charges under the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The girl is a school dropout.