A minor girl was allegedly raped by several men over the last four to five months in Sringeri taluk in Chikkamagaluru district. The police, who booked a case against 17 people, have arrested six, including the girl’s aunt.
The incident came to light after the Child Welfare Committee in Chikkamagaluru received an oral complaint recently. Following this, an officer of the Women and Child Development Department spoke to the girl. Later, CWC chairman G. Suramanya filed a case with the Sringeri police and it was registered on Saturday.
The girl, who lost her mother three years ago, had been staying with her aunt, who worked in a stone-crushing unit. A worker at the unit allegedly raped her in September 2020 and later brought his friends to abuse her sexually. Akshay M. Hakay, Superintendent of Police, said the girl had named several men who allegedly raped her. “She had been staying with her aunt, who allegedly solicited her into this. We have arrested six persons including her aunt. We are looking for the other accused,” he said.
The accused have been identified as Abhi alias Small Abhi of Kirke village; Girish, Rajesh, and Amith of Anegunda; Vikas and Manikantha of Holekoppa; Sampath of Nemmar; Ashwath Gowda and Abhi Gowda of Sringeri; Santhosh of Kurubagere; Deekshith of Heggadde; Santhosh of Heruru; Niranjan of Kigga; Nayana Gowda of Sringeri; Yogeesh of Khandya; the girl’s aunt and owner of the crusher unit and others. A case has been registered under sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.
