Police have arrested all seven accused in the gang rape of a 16-year-old girl at Meerpet in Hyderabad. The minor girl was gang raped at her house on Monday, August 21, in Nandanavanam Colony under the limits of Meerpet Police Station of Rachakonda Police Commissionerate. 

Police have booked the accused under section 5 (g) (gang penetrative sexual assault on a child) r/w 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and sections 452 (trespass), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons),  376D (gang rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The main accused Abid Bin Khaled alias Abid is a rowdy sheeter, the police said. The second accused Tahseen alias Tyson is absconding. The other accused are Mankala Mahesh, M Narsing, Ashraf, Md Faizal and Md Imran.

Police said that the survivor, a resident of Lalapet, was brought by their cousin to her house at Nandanavanam a week ago, along with her two brothers. On August 19, Abid allegedly tried to sexually assault her and she rebuked him. 

On August 21, Abid along with Tahseen, Mahesh, Narsing and Ashraf entered the survivor’s house when she was with her brothers. Abid then raped her, and the others too did the same after threatening her with a knife, police said. The accused then went to the house of Faizal and Imran and used their mobile phones, according to the police. Police registered a case based on a statement by the survivor and formed special teams to arrest the accused.

Earlier, the incident had triggered protests by the opposition Congress and BJP. Leaders of the two parties staged protests in the area, demanding immediate arrest of the culprits. Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan also called for a detailed report about the incident. She asked the Chief Secretary, Director General of Police and Rachakonda Commissioner of Police to submit a report in 48 hours. She directed the Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS), Ranga Reddy District branch, to visit the survivor’s house and provide all necessary support her family requires immediately.