Andhra minor girl locked up, gangraped by 6 people over a week

A 17-year-old girl was gangraped by six people including three minors for almost a week in Andhra’s Ongole district. The state police’s SHAKTI team came to know about the crime when the victim had been let off by the accused after six days – threatening her not to reveal what had happened to anyone – and she was on the streets looking scared and disoriented. The girl has now filed a police complaint and all six accused have been arrested.

On June 16, the minor girl had left her home in Guntur to meet a friend at the Ongole bus stand. She was waiting for him there for a while, and around 7 pm, she sought help from Shaik Baji, who works in a cellphone shop, to reach out to her friend. Taking advantage of her vulnerability, Shaik Baji allegedly forcibly took her into the shop and raped her.

The next morning, the girl managed to get away from the shop, but continued to wait for her friend in the area till midnight. At this point, one of Shaik Baji’s associates – a minor – dragged her to the cell phone shop and raped her. The accused then took her to a flat nearby and kept her confined until June 22, and six of them sexually assaulted her. This includes Shaik Baji, Ravula Srikanth Reddy, Pathra Mahesh, and three minors.

On June 22, one of the accused – a minor – dropped her at the Ongole bus stand after threatening to kill her if she revealed what had happened to anyone else, said district SP Siddharth Kaushal.

Andhra women police team, SHAKTI, spotted the girl, and took her to a hospital and filed a case. The case was registered under IPC sections 343 (wrongful confinement), 376(D) (gangrape) and section 6 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act 2012.

The SP said that the police acted quickly after getting the information and arrested all the accused. Four out of the six accused are reportedly students.

According to police officials, the victim has been shifted to as tate run welfare home. DGP Gautam Sawang who took stock of the case said that they will ensure the survivor gets justice.

Vasireddy Padma, State Women's Commission Chairperson, has also visited the victim and assured for safe rehabilitation of the victim.