Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Nov 15: A minor girl was allegedly abducted and repeatedly raped by four men for a period of 10 days at a lodge in Whitefield.

She was rescued by the Whitefield police on November 4, who also arrested Raghavendra (26), a native of Udupi, Sagar (22) from Davangere, Manju Raj (32) from Mysuru and Manoranjan Das (52) from West Bengal, who was running the lodge on lease.

The 17-year-old girl studying in pre-university, in a statement to the police, said that on October 26 she was invited to attend a party by her classmate and told she will be picked up near Whitefield Station in the evening.

However, at the station, Raghavendra and Sagar said that the friend had sent them to pick her up for the party.

The unsuspecting girl was taken to Classic Inn lodge and confined to a room and raped by Raghavendra and Sagar. Later another Manju Raj raped the girl.

The trio convinced the lodge owner Manoranjan Das not to complaint to the police and instead invited him to rape the girl, to which he agreed.

Upon finding their daughter missing, the girl’s parents registered a complaint with the police on October 3o. The police had started the search and received a tipoff about a girl in distress at the lodge.

Police suspect that the girl’s classmate who had invited her to the party is involved in the crime and are investigating the angle.

During investigation the prime accused Raghavendra has confessed that he had befriended the girl and taken her to the lodge with her consent.

However, deputy commissioner of police Abdul Ahad said that even if the girl had gone with Raghavendra with her consent, it amounts to kidnap and sexual assault under POCSO Act as the victim is a minor.

The girl was made to undergo a series of medical tests. The four accused were also made to undergo medical tests. The police have booked the four under Sections 376D (gang rape); 368 (wrongfully concealing or keeping in confinement, kidnapped or abducted person); 363 (kidnapping); 343(wrongful confinement if any person for three days, or more); 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace); 506 (criminal intimidation), of IPC along with Sections 4 and 6 of POCSO Act.