KARWAR: The case of two minor girls who went missing from a madrasa in Tenginagundi, Bhatkal, has taken an ugly turn with the police investigation revealing that one of the girls was repeatedly raped by her father and brother-in-law.
The probe further revealed that the girls were also raped by two others in Kumta near here.
Police have so far arrested four people in connection with the case.
The arrested have been identified as 45-year-old Imran (name changed) and Muzaffar (30). While Imran is the father of one of the girls, Muzaffar is the brother-in-law (husband of the victim’s sister).
The other two accused have been identified as Ravi Naik (28) and Bharat Ambiga (26), residents of Kumta. Ravi is absconding. The fourth person who has been arrested has been identified as Vishwanath, who took the girls to Kumta.
The two girls went missing from the madrasa on November 11. Hafiz Abdul Khadir, secretary of the madrasa, lodged a missing complaint and subsequently the girls were traced to Goa.
Police said that one of the girls was repeatedly raped by her father. Her brother-in-law, who witnessed the crime, took advantage of the situation and raped her. The victim later confided in her friend, also an occupant of the madrasa. Both the minor girls decided to escape from the madrasa and find a job in Goa.
While waiting for a train to Goa at Kumta railway station at about 11 pm, Ravi and Bharat took pictures of the girls and threatened to upload them on social media if they did not accompany them.
Scared, the two girls went with Ravi and Bharat, who later raped them at knife-point. After raping the two, Ravi and Bharat dropped the girls the next morning at Kumta railway station. They also threatened the girls of killing them if they approached the police.
A team, led by Bhatkal Rural CPI Prashant Naik, arrested the accused. Cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act have been slapped against the four men.